A Labyrinth Prequel
by CanaceErinn
Summary: What was life like in the Underground before Sarah came? Had anyone else ever run the Labyrinth? And what about the Fireys and the Bog of Eternal Stench? Hopefully this story will answer these questions, and more. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Tell me a story, Mommy!" the little girl begged her mother, who was sitting across from her on the child's bed.

"What sort of story, Sarah?" the mother asked, with a warm smile. "One starring you again?"

"No, no, no!" Sarah squealed, fiercely hugging her teddy bear. "I want a story about faeries, goblins, castles, and...............a princess."

"And what kind of princess?" Sarah's mother smiled, gently tucking the bed covers around her five year old daughter.

"An unusual kind! One no one's ever told a story about before!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Hmmm.......that's quite a task, but I'll try," her mother replied. "Well, here goes....."

And little Sarah Williams snuggled into her covers, ears all ready and eyes wide open.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Stranger/Good News/Birth of a…….

Once, there was a kingdom of faeries ruled by a handsome King and his lovely Queen. Though all was peaceful and though she seemed happy, secretly the Queen wept every night, wishing for a child- a boy or girl(it didn't matter which gender) Faery. And not just so the kingdom would have an heir, but so that she could know the joy of being a mother. After several years, she'd lost all hope, but one day……………..

"Your Majesty? There is a stranger at the gates, asking for shelter tonight," one of the queen's serving maidens said as the Queen stared out her chamber's window, waiting for her beloved husband's return. " Well, we can't refuse him or her," the Queen finally answered, turning to look at the maid. "Send him or her to me." "But Your Majesty…." The maid nervously twisted her hands. "Galinda?" the Queen eyed her servant questioningly. "Yes, Your Majesty. I beg forgiveness." And she flew out of the room as fast as her wings would allow.

A few months later, when the King had returned from the Underground Council, it was announced that the Queen was to finally have a baby. This news set the entire Faerie kingdom upside down. Immediately presents and advice came from all over, almost overwhelming the future mother-to-be.

Finally the day of the birth arrived. The king stayed outside the room the Queen had been placed in, flying around anxiously. "When will the Mother arrive?" he snapped at one of his Advisors, a rather fat fellow with turquoise hair. "Sire, you know a Faerie child cannot be born until the Mother comes. And everyone knows She comes at her own pace," one of the Advisors suggested, this one a tall lanky sprite named Bumpy, though the name obviously did not fit. All the Advisors and the King suddenly fell silent. "What will she look like this time?" The Mother, who served as midwife for the entire Underground, never came to expecting mothers the same way twice. She had existed, it was said, since the beginning of the Underground. "When I was born my Mother says she was a great coral butterfly," Bumpy recalled. "She came as a Worm for me," another Advisor exclaimed. As they all remembered the Mother's various appearances, a cry came from within the birthing room. The king sped over to the door, and just as he was turning the handle, the door opened from the other side, revealing a spectre of golden light. With a gasp, the King fell on his knees, correctly guessing this was the Mother. She shifted, and in a warm melodious voice stated, "You are the father? Come," -she turned- "Your daughter is about to be born."

In the great corridors of the Faerie Castle, the lords and ladies of the court flew about, each one with 'news' about the newborn princess. "I hear she has eyes the color of a new morning." "I hear her skin is as soft as flower petals." "Her wings are a lovely…" All chatter ceased as a group of the Queen's relatives emerged from the Royal Chamber Hall, fussing and fuming. "What's wrong?" "What is it?" some lords called out. One of the relatives spun around and hissed angrily, "That child is not related to me! It isn't possible!" "Why?" "She doesn't even look like a Faerie! My advice to that _thing's_ parents is: kill it. As soon as they can."


	3. Chapter 2: AdinaSchool Days

Chapter 2: Adina/School Days

Several years had passed, and (though he had been sorely tempted to get rid of her), the king and queen had kept their daughter. On the day of her birth, the new parents had stared stunned as the Mother lifted their daughter up, fixed the two with a knowing stare, and said, "This child will be famous one day! No harm shall come to her, or doom will befall. Destiny and the fates are with her, and she will be Queen, of the Faeries and Wilis one day! I swear it!" And with that she'd vanished, leaving two new parents frightened out of their wits. Since no one ever disobeyed the Mother, they'd kept her and named her Adina Xanthe-meaning "Voluptuous Yellow"- which was a nice name, but didn't fit.

_ Nothing quite fit,_ thought her mother, watching her four year old daughter toddle around the castle garden. She didn't really even resemble a Faerie much. The little 'dear' had blonde-almost white really- hair(and no Faerie had any blonde colored hair!), dark eyes(the queen wasn't sure quite what color they were) , a pale skin color, and worst of all, she had no wings of any size or sort. Her Faerie parts were, well-so far all the Queen could see was that she had light pink finger and toenails, and she had the same body shape like a normal Faerie. Though all malicious gossip about Adina was forbidden in the Queen and King's presences, that couldn't stop it from flying all over the Faerie kingdom. She watched silently as Adina suddenly noticed a butterfly and immediately began chasing after it, leaping into the air after it like a cat. The little Faerie's face lit up as she soared through the air for a second.....and just as quickly turned into a look of terror as she crashed to the ground below, letting out a shriek. "Oh, my poor darling!" the Queen exclaimed, hurrying to her daughter's side, scooping her into her lap, and murmuring comforting words into Adina's ears. Surprisingly, Adina wasn't crying at all; in fact the only thing she was focused on was the butterfly fluttering before her, laughing with its wings. Something new filled the child, and it came out through her eyes. In an instant the butterfly burst apart, its wings and body going in all directions. "Come on, Adina, it's time for your nap," her mother's voice quietly broke into her thoughts. Adina watched the butterfly's body settle on the ground as her mother carried her to her room, never knowing what had just happened.

The school bell rang loudly and clearly. Five year old Adina stood quietly outside the door to her classroom, listening to her mother's maiden Galinda give last minute instructions. "Now be nice to the other children in your class, Your Highness," Galinda told her, with a smile that was a little too forced. "You must always remember who you are- and who your parents are. Don't tear or mess up your dress, and have fun!" Galinda started to lean down, as if to kiss Adina on the cheek , then thought better of it. "Run along, now." As fast as she could without running herself, Galinda left Adina's side. With a resigned sigh, Adina stepped into the classroom, and all eyes latched onto her. She managed to ignore the gawks and giggles, and calmly strode to a chair with her name on it. "If everyone can tell each other their names," the teacher, an older fairy with pale blue hair and powder blue wings called out, "we'll soon get started." "I'm Rosemary." "May." "Fleffle." "Chipoq," and so on, until Adina. "My name is Adina," she said heavily, "and I'm-" "Their Majesties' freak," the Faerie boy called Fleffle whispered loudly to another boy, sending the class into giggles. "Take that back!" Adina snapped, abruptly standing up and knocking her chair over. Fleffle suddenly challenged, "Why? You don't look like a Faerie! You're ugly!" Feeling the silent encouragement of his classmates, he continued. "Ugly, ugly, ugly!" "No!" Adina shrieked, bursting into tears. "I'm _not _ugly!" She thrust a hand out in front of her, and Fleffle flew backward and into the wall. The class raced to his side, pushing and shoving. Once they saw he was merely dazed, they turned as one to gaze at Adina, who was standing near the teacher, both of them with eyes wide.

Recess finally arrived, and Adina and her class were the first outside. The little Faeries flew into the air, shouting at each other and laughing. Adina gazed up at them as she slowly walked on the ground, lost in thought over what had happened. "How did that happen?" she said aloud. She'd been thinking of how much Fleffle should be made to shut up, and then he was across the room. Mummy hadn't taught her that. Nor Daddy. Odd. "Adina!" a voice called out in front of her. "What you did today, little one, was something special." Adina glanced around, and saw a great eagle in the bushes. "Who are you?" "Don't worry, I'm a friend," the eagle said. "I want you to have this." Out from under the eagle's left wing came an amulet. "Put it on." Adina stared at it, more than a little afraid. "Come, little one," it won't hurt you, it will help you." "Adina! Time to go back inside!" her teacher yelled from the school entrance. With a quick glance, Adina reached out and took the amulet, whispering "Thank you." "You're welcome. Now go on, things will be okay." As she ran to the building, amulet in her dress pocket, Adina never even questioned why an eagle would pick her to talk to, much less give a present to. The eagle softly chuckled, watching her go inside. Then as fast as he had come, he was gone.


	4. Chapter 3: No Brains Arrgh!

**Author's Note:** Moonjava, I've broken the paragraphs I already had for this chapter to hopefully make things easier for you. And in case anyone's thinking, 'Okay, this is dragging a bit, when will this deal with _Labyrinth_?' , just hold on. There's a method to my madness; in fact these next two chapters will lead right into it and are crucial to the story. Thanks!

Chapter 3-No Brains!/Arrgh! 

"Mother! I'm home!" Thirteen year old Adina called out, walking into her chambers and knowing her mother would be in them. For some reason, she had been spending all of her free time in Adina's rooms. Hearing a noise, Adina stepped into her bedroom. "Mother?" "Yes, dear?" the Queen murmured sleepily, rising from a large chair. "I was just taking a nap, waiting for you." "Poor you," Adina said quietly, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek and trying to ignore the way Mother flinched when she did so.

"Oh here, we got subject reports today." Adina handed her mother the folder, and began changing out of her school clothes. "Hmmmm.........oh dear," the Queen exclaimed, finishing her read-through. "Is something wrong?" Adina appeared, holding a sleeveless black dress in front of her. "It says your best subject is "Using Faerie Magic", and you're at the top of your class." "Great!" Adina remarked brightly, now clad in black. That's my favorite subject!"

"Adina Xanthe!" the Queen gasped, clutching the armrests of the chair. "Don't say that!" "Why?" Adina's smile quickly faded. "Well,"the Queen replied, color coming back into her face, "Nice young Faerie women _usually _take that as a courtesy course. Your teacher says you are the best at it because you take it seriously." "So?" Adina walked over to her mother's side. "What's wrong with being serious?"

"Faerie women are never serious, neither are the men," the Queen replied stiffly, sitting straight up. "Adina, you are becoming a lovely young woman-Faerie, and as such, should have Dress-Making, Wreath-Making, and Faerie Singing and Dancing for your best subjects." "Those are nice classes," Adina agreed, knowing better than to say she loathed Wreath-Making and the material they performed in Faerie Singing. "I enjoy Dress-Making and Dancing a lot." "About Dress-Making. Why are you always making black dresses? Don't you _like_ flower colored dresses?" The Queen ran her hands up and down her pastel green gown, then gestured to Adina's empire waisted black dress.

"Ummm.........no." "Adina Xanthe, you're impossible!" the Queen finally snapped. "Your Majesty? Your presence is required with a delicate subject," a page came into the room, bowing and scraping the whole time. "Yes," the Queen stood, and turned to leave. "Your Highness," the page nodded at Adina. Then he and the Queen left.

Adina watched her mother leave, then flopped onto her bed. "She'll never get it," Adina sighed, pulling out a book she had borrowed from the school library, _Five Great Dialogues of the Faes._ "She'd say, "Young Faerie women also don't read books of this kind. Why can't she realize I'm not like other young Faerie women?" With another sigh, she opened the book to the place where- what was that?

In place of her bookmark was an ivory colored piece of paper. Adina sat up and read it- 'Dear Miss Adina-Your Highness- though we have never met, I have heard much about you, and your abilities. I confess I am curious, and would like to discuss the incidents with you. If it wouldn't be too much of a burden, would you please meet me in the Flower Lab this evening after dinner? Sincerely, Professor Bevin Boyce.'


	5. Chapter 4: Dealings with an Elf

**Author's Note:** Sorry this is so short!

Chapter 4: Dealings with an Elf

_It's not hard to find the Flower Lab in the evening, _Adina thought as she made her way down the corridors. She'd always been able to see in the dark, it was as natural an ability for her as flying was for other Faeries. _Other normal Faeries,_ she said silently, bitterly. Seeing the Flower Lab before her, she pushed open the door and walked in.

Inside, an Elf with pointed ears, blue skin and cherry hair looked up. "Professor Boyce?" Adina said, uncertain since Elves typically had nothing to do with Faeries. "Your Highness," he confirmed, standing and offering a formal bow. "I suppose you're wondering why, since we've never met, would I want want to talk to you. Sit down please." Adina slowly complied, then said, "I _was_ wondering that since I've never been in any of your classes. How did you hear about me anyway?" "From the other teachers, Your Highness." ( _That was obvious! _Adina thought, annoyed with herself.) "And this file." Professor Boyce pulled out a peach colored envelope. "I've studied each of the _incidents_, and went through every book on magic I have, and to make things short"-he stared hard at her- "you are stronger magically than any other being I've ever met."

Outside the window, the eagle Adina had met as a child was listening intently. _Hopefully that professor will tell the dear princess just the right amount of knowledge to start her on her journey, _he thought, peering in and watching.

Adina nodded at the professor as he asked her something, though she wasn't paying him the slightest bit of attention. _Boy, won't Mother love find this out,_ she thought. _Wait, why tell her if I've been like this since birth? She probably knows already._ "-and though you've got a great deal of power within you, you don't know how to use it. I think I can help you with that. Obviously in secret, so would you be able to come at this same hour every evening?" "Yes," Adina muttered, standing up to leave. Professor Boyce reached out to take her hand. "Don't worry, Your Highness, things will be just fine."

_They certainly will,_ the eagle thought, eyes glittering. _Especially if I watch every time. _Hearing a noise, he watched Adina carefully walk out of the building, head bent over. _Oh, Adina, little one, how things are about to change. _


	6. Chapter 5: How to Wear a Ball Gownor not

**Author's Note:** Okay, so it's more than two chapters that set up the _Labyrinth_ section. Sorry. : ) Oh, and I had a lot of fun writing this part. BTW, keep in mind Adina has pale colored skin, and blondish whitish hair. Two very important things with this chapter.

Chapter 5: How to Wear a Ball Gown(or Not)

"Adina dear, you can't be serious about not going to the ball tonight!" the Queen exclaimed, standing in the middle of her daughter's rooms. "You are the heir to the Faerie kingdom, you must, no excuses!" She walked into the library, where Adina was attempting to read a book Professor Boyce had given her. "Every night, you go out to study. All that studying can't be good for you!" "What's wrong if I want to learn as much as I can?" Adina sighed, having given up on the book and saying the same thing she had the last time they'd had this argument. "You should also learn to socialize! All the reading in the Underground does no good when dealing with people!"

The Queen disappeared for a moment, then returned with Galinda carrying an armload of ball gowns. "Now, dear, put this one on, then let Galinda do something with your hair, please!" Adina started to say something, but a rush of trumpets from downstairs drowned her out. "The guests are here, Adina Xanthe! Be ready in ten minutes to make your entrance!" The Queen grabbed up her skirts and hustled out as fast as she could, finally flying like a bee.

A royal march played as the guests presented themselves to the King and Queen of the Faeries. From every kingdom they'd come, all dressed in their finest garments. There were lower ranking Faeries, mysterious Sirens, the very quiet Elves, cheerful Brownies, mischevious Pixies, and respectable Goblins. For each pair, the royal couple would nod a greeting.

As the parade of guests continued, the King whispered, "Where is Adina?" "She should be ready by now," the Queen politely shot back, also whispering. "Well, I-" he broke off suddenly as the next pair of guests arrived. "Your Majesties," the beautifully dressed female Goblin spoke first. "Lady Helene, Lord Merle, how good of you to come," the King replied jovially. "I bring greetings from His Majesty, King Jareth. He hopes you are both well and sends his regrets," Merle said, bowing deeply. "Yes, we understand. We'll have to send someone over there for an official visit soon," the Queen smiled warmly.

Suddenly a fanfare played. Two pages straightened and cried out in unison, "Her Royal Highness, the Princess Adina!" All eyes turned toward the empty staircase. Slowly, regally, Adina appeared, with what was clearly a forced smile. Upon seeing her, almost everyone in the room gasped, most of all her parents.

Knowing how much this moment meant to her mother, Adina gave a false smile and began to slowly descend the stairs, while at the same time hoping her enormous headpiece wouldn't fall off. _I feel ridiculous, _she grimaced inwardly.

The dress was in itself what was truly ridiculous- a pale yellow bodice and full skirt, with large puffy mustard colored sleeves. From the shoulder area(which there wasn't much of since the gown was off shouldered) hung two pale yellow scarves that Adina supposed were for drawing attention to her face. The chest area was covered in little mustard seed pearls, and the skirt opened to reveal a lacy yellow underslip(which was luckily, Adina mused, part of the dress and not her real one). Big gaudy bows splashed on the skirt as well. To complete her humiliation, Adina was wearing a headpiece consisting of two large yellow feathers attached to a swan cap with a tiara on it.

Finally Adina reached the bottom, and glided over to the throne, where her mother was trying hard not to be sick. "Your Majesties, dearest Mother and Father," Adina said sweetly.

The Queen breathed a sigh of relief, watching the dancers. Except for the disaster of Adina's dress(and boy were those dressmakers going to get it), all was going well. Glancing over at her daughter-whowas handling her clothing fiasco beautifully in public she frowned to see Adina's face freeze as if watching something, then snap out of it. "Please excuse me, Mother," she said halfheartedly, clearly in pain. The Queen watched, puzzled as Adina rose and walked quickly out of the ballroom.


	7. Chapter 6: And Things were Smooth, Too!

Chapter 6: Just as Things Were Going Smoothly

As soon as she was out of sight, Adina ran down the corridors of the castle, lifting her skirts. _I'll never make it in time,_ she thought hurriedly. _Oh, that I could fly! _All at once, she was off the ground, soaring through the night sky. _Hey! I.........Well, Professor Boyce, another of my 'powers', I guess. _This brought her back to why she'd left the Ball- a vision of the Professor dying. And he had told her that visions always came true. She'd been working with him several weeks now, and he'd predicted she'd eventually fly. Of course, probably not in the shape of a hawk, like she currently was, however. Adina spotted the Science Building and aimed for the door.

"Professor Boyce!" Adina screamed, throwing the Lab door open. There he was, lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. "Adina......." He rasped. "help..." "Shh, I'm here. You'll be okay," Adina began quickly trying to remember the healing spells she'd memorized. "No....too late," the Professor wheezed, knowing what she was attempting. 'A bird.....attacked me. I think........a........eagle." "Oh gods," Adina muttered, remembering the one from her childhood. "Adina........be strong, and proud of who you are. Never let your magic die. Adina," he rasped again, feeling death come near. "I shall...." "Yes?" Adina cried in a sudden panic. The Professor gazed at her one last time, then he was gone.

Adina fell silent, her anger rising. She rose abruptly from her position next to the Professor on the floor, and before she knew what she was doing began a chant-

"Allah allah/ Yeckum allah/ Allah allah/ Yeckum allah- Let your killer die this instant/ And know every bit of pain/ Let him rot and die for his deeds/ And I hope he dies insane!"

At that moment, the eagle was proudly flying back to the Goblin City to see his son, the King of the Goblins. _The fool Elf dies, and I'm responsible, _he laughed triumphantly. _No one will ever .........._ A great flash came before him, sending him down to the ground. And after that shock he knew nothing more..........at all...............


	8. Chapter 7: The Journey Begins

**Author's Note: Unless something happens, expect these next few chapters to be the last for a while. I'm taking a sabbatical from the 'Net until October 24 to do some major studying for a very important test coming up. I might be able to post another chapter or something in that time to keep you guys interested; otherwise I'm gone. Think of it as positive-when I'm not studying I'll be writing new chapters, and finishing it. I hope you'll like what's coming up. Please tell your friends about this story-the more input and reviews I get the better this story can be!**

Chapter 7:The Journey Begins

The Queen and King paced the corridors outside Adina's chambers. It had been two weeks since that professor friend of Adina's had been killed, and after she'd told them of his death they hadn't seen her. "This behavior isn't healthy," the Queen finally blurted out. "We've tried everything! She simply will not come out of her rooms!" the King sputtered, wings beating rapidly.

One of the Queen's ladies, Cherrity, flew up and curtsied. "Your Majesties," she twittered, anxiously glancing at the closed doors. "The Lord Bumpy." "Your Majesties, this letter just arrived." Lord Bumpy produced an envelope and while bowing, handed it to the King. "It's from King Jareth of the Goblins," the King said after skimming over the note. "And?" the Queen asked. "He says that if we want to send someone over for an official visit, we may do so. He has two weeks set aside for such." "Ah," the Queen nodded.

At once, the Queen's face lit up. "Adina? Sweetheart? We have something important to tell you." "What?" the King hissed as the door opened a crack. "Just follow me," she whispered, heading in.

All over the castle, an uproar of surprise fell. "Then it's true!" "Yes!" "By the Mother, they can't be serious!" "Adina-Her Highness- is going to be the ambassador to the Goblin City?" "Yes!" "I thought the King would go! He's always gone before!" "This time he's too busy!" "Well, _I_ could've gone for him." "I think it's good for her, the poor thing needs to get back out." "Did she agree, or did they force her into it?" "She agreed." "I wish her good luck." "She'll need it."

On the day of Adina's departure, the skies appeared gloomy and gray. The Queen took this as a sign, but Adina was not listening to her nervous protests. Though she had agreed to the visit, Adina was still not speaking to anyone, any more than necessary. "Now dearest, remember everything you've been taught," the Queen said sweetly as Adina began climbing into the carriage that would take her to the Goblin City.

"Here, put this on if you need any advice," the King said smartly as the Queen handed her a silver bracelet with a large pink stone in the middle. "Just look into it and you'll see one of us." "Mother, Father, I'd better be going," Adina stated flatly, trying not to be rude. "I have a long way to go." "Of course, dear," they murmured, stepping back as the carriage door was closed. "Have a good trip!"


	9. Chapter 8:Oh My Aching SeatAdina Alone

**Author's Note: I apologize if Jareth is not quite up to standard, but then I've never been good at writing other people's characters. 'Finally, (I can hear most of you saying), 'the story will begin, now that we've got His Royal Hotness in here'. Those who say that immediately go to the Bog of Eternal Stench. And until the 24th of October(unless I can sneak some more story in), "adieu/adieu/ to yeu/ and yeu/and yeu" (from _The Sound of Music_). I shall return with more! **

Chapter 8: Oh, My Aching Seat/Adina Alone

Several hours later, Adina had decided that riding in a carriage for travel was an extremely bad, if not boring, idea. Her maids(though she'd insisted she didn't need any) had not been adept at any kind of decent conversation, instead trying to steer her into such topics as "Which of your dresses is your favorite?" or "Have you ever seen the Goblin King, Your Highness?"(Adina had shot those two topics down with 'I don't really care about clothes' and 'No, I haven't' ). Plus after a while, the plush seats and armrests stopped being comfortable. _I hope this is all worth it,_ Adina sighed, closing her eyes.

Just as she began to relax(as best as one could with uncomfortable seating), a great cry arose outside. "Whoa, boy! Whoa!" the carriage driver exclaimed, trying to calm the horses down. "What's wrong?" Adina asked, climbing out, her maids timidly following behind her. "Your Highness, the horses will go no further. I beg apologies."

"Of course," Adina said with a wave of her hand. "Why no more?" She began chanting a spell under her breath to calm the animals, and then it came to her. "Maybe the area bothers them." "That could be it. Let me look at the map," the carriage driver briskly climbed up, unfolding a large parchment. Eyeing the contents, abruptly the driver turned pale. He jumped from his perch, and knelt before Adina. "Your pardon, please Highness," he gasped. "but I can take you no farther."

"Why?" Adina asked, completely frustrated. "We are about to pass into the Land of the Souls. No Faerie has ever traveled through the Land and made it back. But this is the only way to go by carriage. We could fly, but......" he gestured to Adina's lack of wings.

Adina thought hard. This visit meant a great deal to her parents, and to turn back now would be humiliating, not just for them, but the Faerie kingdom. Finally Adina stopped, looked the driver in the eye, and said firmly, "Go back. I'll continue on alone."

It had taken quite a bit of reasoning to convince the driver and maids she would be safe, but Adina had finally managed, sending them back with the carriage and all her travel belongings. She gazed ahead at the road before her, looming widely with a sinister air. Adina wrapped her cape around herself, let out another sigh(she did that so often!), and began walking.

High above Adina, a great owl flew through the sky. Spotting her walking alone, the owl dropped a few feet to get a closer look. Satisfied with what it saw, it soared upward, and toward the Goblin City.

So far the Land of Souls was not frightening, Adina decided. Oh sure, she'd seen the namesakes of the place, but they weren't at all heartstopping- merely pitiful little beings. "Stay with us," they moaned, reaching for her and grabbing nothing. "We're so lonely!" a ghostly child wailed. Adina kept walking on, unaffected. Her mother had told her of the Wilis, a group of young women who had broken hearts or died before their wedding day. They appeared only at night, spiritlike, and were not much different from these Souls. Adina had tried to learn everything she could about them- she may not have had a broken heart or died before her wedding day, but she was curious about everything.

At last, Adina left the territory of the Souls. She stared at the ground for a long time lost in thought, and finally almost walked into a wall of brick. Startled at first, Adina slowly realized what it was. _I always wanted to come see this, although the maps don't show the road leading to it. _Adina walked alongside the wall, knowing exactly what it was. "This," she confirmed her thoughts, "must be the labyrinth."

_Life could be so dull, _thought Jareth, better known as the Goblin King. He was in his throne room, currently reviewing recent matters. The labyrinth had had its usual plethora of goblins wandering through(with most of them getting caught in the traps), all the neighboring kingdoms were cordial, and things were peaceful, for once. Soon the Faerie kingdom's officials, or royals, would be here for the previously scheduled two week visit. Well, maybe that would be exciting.

Then again-Jareth immediately sat up, and produced a crystal. Hmmm, there was a girl, about to enter his labyrinth. Interesting. She paused, considering whether she should go in, Jareth guessed silently. A few minutes more, and- there she went! "It begins again," Jareth announced to no one in particular. Grinning broadly in anticipation of beating another fool who dared to challenge the labyrinth, he assumed his owl form, to go and meet the young wanderer.


	10. Chapter 9: Such a Simple Act, Really

**Author's Note: Wrote this on a test study break. Hope ya'll like it- I had fun writing it! BTW, Adina's song is from _Star Wars: Children of the Jedi_. (Still sorry Jareth isn't quite right- oh to be able to write other people's characters!) And now back to the studying..........tra la la......................**

Chapter 9: Such a Simple Act, Really

Adina gazed steadily forward as she climbed over a steady stream of vines in one area of the labyrinth. _I hope this will take me to the Goblin City,_ she thought firmly. _All this walking is good though._ A few minutes earlier she'd been very tempted to change into her hawk form, but had realized how healthier the walking was.

"Oh great," Adina stopped, seeing a wall rise in front of her. "A dead end." "Nothing's what it seems here, dearie," a little voice squeaked. Adina looked down, and saw a brown fieldmouse gazing back at her. "Well?" it continued. "Try something."

Adina felt around to see if she could walk through, but there was nothing. "You're a spellcaster, I can tell. Use that!" And the mouse vanished. "Okay," Adina murmured. Closing her eyes, raising her hands, she visualized the wall pushing back. With a great groan, the labyrinth complied to Adina's touch, and shifted.

Adina, opening her eyes, immediately stared awestruck at what she had done. "What do you know?" she said aloud. "That never happened to me before." Feeling happy about her success, she climbed over the loosened bricks and vines that had fallen and headed on.

Looking at the section of the labyrinth that had recently moved, Jareth raised his eyebrows in surprise- and admiration. _Surely that girl couldn't have done this,_ he thought, knowing no one else(besides himself) was following her.

"Your Majesty!" a little fieldmouse appeared. "Well," Jareth said, looking at it, "and what do you want?" "The girl, the one going through, she did this!" "Really?" Jareth remarked coolly. "Yes.....I urged her to. She's very powerful, Majesty, it emanates from her......" the mouse's voice trailed, once it saw the way Jareth was looking at it.

"A mouse can suddenly tell how strong someone is?" Jareth's eyes narrowed to slits. He quickly turned, and gazed down the way Adina had gone. Time to go catch up to her, and see firsthand how 'powerful' this _girl_ was. What did mice know?

With every step Adina took, the labyrinth seemed to grow darker. Still, she was not undeterred. _It's too quiet here, _Adina thought. So she began to sing, an air she'd memorized in school: "The Queen had a songbird that sang in the dark/ The Queen had a songbird that sang like a lark-"

Shrieks of pain, mixed with deep laughter, were heard from around the corner. Adina stopped singing, went into a crouch position, and peeked from behind the wall. There were three enormously ugly goblin soldiers in a pavilion, tormenting two Faerie girls. They had tied them into a cobweb, and were thrashing the Faeries' bodies with willow sticks. _How dare they! _Adina fumed, her eyes firey.

Before she realized what she was doing, Adina stepped into the pavilion. "Leave them alone!" she ordered, glaring daggers at the goblins. "Why should we?" one of them snorted, shifting to see her. "Because," Adina's hands seemed to glow, "of this!" Fireballs appeared, and Adina violently threw them at the goblins. "Arrgh! My butt's aflame!" one goblin wailed, while the other two ran around in circles yelping, "Retreat!"

Once they'd left, Adina turned to the Faeries, who were pale with fright. "Don't be afraid," she exclaimed, sending comforting thoughts to them. The Faeries stared unbelievingly at her, shrinking back. "It's all right," Adina soothed mentally. She closed her eyes, and went to her normal Faerie size. Seeing this, the Faeries instantly knew who they were dealing with. "Oh, Your Highness!" the smaller of the two exclaimed.

Jareth watched quietly as the Labyrinth wanderer healed the Faeries' wounded stomachs and arms. Now her was completely sure she was behind the wall incident. He had arrived just in time to see the fireballs thrown. _So, she's a Faerie, _he noticed, remembering that Faeries were known for their healing powers. _Though she barely looks like one, without any wings. _A sigh broke into his thoughts, and the girl was his size again. She walked over to a nearby fountain, pushed back her cape's hood, and splashed water on her face. _Light blonde hair, too. One thing is certain-she's not entirely Faerie._ She needed some challenges, so what should she first deal with? And she needed someone to travel with. How to solve both dilemmas......instantly he came up with an answer. _Perfect._

The fireballs left Adina very shaken. "Did that really just happen? I can throw fire around, when I get angry?" Yet another new 'ability', as Professor Boyce termed it. He had once told her, "I am helping you with your abilities. You must learn to control them, and be careful! Your emotions can bring certain things out, Your Highness."

_Professor Boyce, _Adina thought wistfully. _Oh, if you could've seen that! _He'd always urged her to use her 'powers' for good, and she finally had. _Finally! I've done some good! At last! _Adina let out a loud whoop, jumped into the air, and promptly went through the labyrinth's floor tiles, into the unknown.

**So! What did you think? How do you like the way this story is going? All comments will be helpful. Also, please tell your friends about my little fic-I need all the readers I can get. Or I'll throw you in the Bog of Eternal Stench. (those who do review or send their friends get to spend the evening with Jareth..........snickers aplenty)**


	11. Chapter 10:New People and Places

**Author's Note: Back at last! Hopefully someone is still reading this story, or has recommended it. Thanks for the luck, Moonjava-I needed it ! Enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 9:New People and Places

"Down, down, diggity down! Down you go, can't say no! Down down down!" Strange voices sang as Adina was roughly thrown down-or was it sliding?- a shaft. It felt as if hands were shoving her, and Adina's cape flipped over her head. "Where am I going?" she cried out frantically, mentally saying "Stop!"

The words hadn't left Adina's mouth for more than a few seconds, when she was tossed onto the ground. Yanking the cape back, Adina looked up in time to see a grate shut. Then, silence. Adina groaned, held her head, and sat up. She opened her mind, searching for an escape, or other creatures. Nothing.......wait. "Who's there?" a voice croaked. Adina immediately scrambled to remember a spell for light, then finally pulled a lantern out of thin air.

Seated before her was a short being, clad in robes, a hat, and a mask around its eyes. It had a birdlike beak, and held a walking stick. "Ah," it said, looking at Adina with endless black eyes. "Milady." "Master.............." "Beggar, milady. Just a poor beggar, who lives in this obuilette." The beggar turned his head quizzically.

"Where are you going, milady? To save someone? That's the only reason anyone goes through the labyrinth." "No," Adina crawled over to him and plopped down. "I'm going......to the Goblin City. On business." _Best not to tell the truth entirely, _she told herself. "Oh." Master Beggar rasped. "Can I go with you? No one's ever dropped in, so I've gotten lonely." "Sure." Adina glanced at him from studying the grate. "Give me a few seconds." She sat up, sensed for the right spot, then muttered some words. Grinning at Master Beggar, who was wide eyed, Adina nodded approvingly as a door was formed in the obuilette's walls. "Shall we go?" she opened the door, now leading to a tunnel upward.

"This girl is certainly amazing," Jareth said to his goblins, who were watching the duo with him through the crystal. "When she gets here, with her new companion, bring them to me, unharmed." "But she's not supposed to get through, Your Highness. You once told us that." A goblin exclaimed, using its brain. "Of course they won't get through, idiot. As goblins, bring them here." Jareth rolled his eyes in disgust and kicked the goblin. At this, the other goblins began laughing loudly. Jareth turned back, and saw that the girl and 'Master Beggar' were back on the surface. _Hurry, sorceress. You only have ten hours left._

"Have you ever been in this area before, Master Beggar?" asked Adina, as they made their way around various wall sections in the labyrinth. "Yes, once. A long time ago." Master Beggar shuffled along, his stick tap tapping. "When this was first built by the Goblin King, Jareth." "Could you tell me about him?" "Not really. I don't much, but he's very strong in magic. And he enjoys people running the labyrinth. Thirteen hours they're given to solve it." This statement stopped Adina in her tracks. "I thought that was just for saving children!" "No, no," the little fellow smirked, pleased to have new news. "It's anyone. And you have ten hours left. Or, you're a goblin."


	12. Chapter 11:MacGoogle

**Author's Note: Somehow I've gotten mixed up on Chapter numbering. This should be Chapter 11. My humblest apologies, time to go get dunked in the Bog for the error! And yes, that's the monster's name, it popped into my head while writing.**

Chapter 11: MacGoogle

In the time that had passed since he had talked about her possible fate, Adina ignored Master Beggar, striding on with a determination to win. _I will never be turned into a goblin. My parents and everyone at home are depending on this visit to be a success. If I did turn into a goblin, hmmmmm......... poor Mother, she'd faint in horror!_

This image made Adina laugh, a rare act for her. "What's funny?" Master Beggar exclaimed, tapping his walking stick. "What? Oh, I was just thinking about my mother." "Mothers are subjects of amusement where you live?" "No," Adina sighed. They both stopped talking, each lost in thought.

Just then a loud hiss and a growl broke their silent reverie, and Master Beggar leapt back in terror. "Oh no, no, not good!" he wailed. "Why, what is it?" Adina said frantically, though she wasn't sure why. The roars got louder and closer, with the source finally turning the corner. Master Beggar almost fainted, saying, "Gods help us, it's MacGoogle!"

MacGoogle slithered towards the two travelers, fiercely growling. He was incapable of thought and will, only knowing that he was hungry, and here was food.

The beast was one of the most hideous creatures Adina had ever seen. It was cold and slimy, covered in purple scales. Four small green wings were on its sides; possibly there for show since the beast was so big. Its black eyes were sunken in, due to its enormous mouth with glittering fangs.

_It-he-is just hungry, and angry,_ Adina sensed reading the beast's mind and movements. _He just needs to be calmed down. _Quickly she sent thoughts of peace and happiness to MacGoogle, but he batted them off like a bee stinging. _I don't want to hurt you! _Adina mentally cried, leaping over MacGoogle as he lunged for her. She sighed as he roared in more anger. _But I have no choice._

A great yell arose, breaking Adina's strategy. MacGoogle had spotted Master Beggar, petrified on a pillar, and had begun slowly slithering toward him, snarling the whole way. Rage, that her friend was frightened of a mindless being, and that said being was using that fear tho his advantage, filled Adina and she shrieked, "MacGoogle!"

Master Beggar stared in relief when MacGoogle quickly eyed Adina, roaring in response. Adina's hands and eyes glowed ferociously as she chanted "Allah yeckhum allah/Yeckhum yeckhum allah allah/Terrible beast, who's lived so long/Killed so many, done much wrong/Die ye thus, hear my curse/And go now from bad to worse!"

In a split second, the creature's body exploded, and its death cry shook the labyrinth. Remian flew everywhere, and Adina dove on top of Master Beggar, covering him with her cape. Then, all was still. Adina stood, quite shaken, and walked over to the place she had chanted from. "Milady!" Master Beggar crowed, trotting to her with an odd smile. "That was incredible! Not even the King could do that, and he's tried for years to get that thing out! Oh, he'll be so thrilled MacGoogle is gone!"

Slowly Adina turned to look at him. "Yes, I guess so, Master Beggar." She thought of something at once. "Master Beggar, how did you know the King's tried for years to kill MacGoogle?" "Purely speculation on my part, Milady," Master Beggar stammered, backing off a little. She gave him a contemplative look, then yawned. "I need some sleep. Killing a creature," Adina said drily , "takes a lot out of you." "Of course, milady-" "Oh, and stop calling me that. My name-" Adina yawned again- "-is Adina."

Here Master Beggar almost fell over in shock. "As in Heir Apparent of the Faeries?" "Yes," Adina sighed grumpily. "My goodness! What an honor! Your Highness! May I-" "Master Beggar, friend," Adina closed her eyes, not even bringing up the question of how he knew her. "Please let me sleep." "Yes, Your Highness. I shall guard you." He backed away again, as Adina finally went to sleep.

Master Beggar watched carefully, only stopping when he was absolutely sure Adina-Princess Adina, he corrected himself- was fast asleep. "Well now that she's taken care of, time to-" Seeing Jareth in his path made the little fellow come to a screeching halt. "Your Majesty! How nice to see you so soon!" Master Beggar stammered.

**So! How is it Master Beggar, if he's been in an obuilette for some time, knows who Adina is, how long the King's been trying to get rid of MacGoogle, and other things? Tell me what you think of this chapter-I'm very self critical, and thus cannot rely on my own opinion most of the time. Oh yeah, I don't own _Labyrinth, _or any of its characters(would that I did.......). Adina, her parents, the Mother, MacGoogle, and the other Faeries and characters not from the movie are all mine however. **


	13. Chapter 12:Of Speeches and Stinks

Chapter 12: Of Speeches and Stinks

"So, Hogbrain, are you enjoying this trip?" Jareth grinned at him, mismatched eyes staring hard. "It's Hoggle, Your Majesty, and do I really have to keep dressing like this? I almost tripped over-" "Your skirt, Higwart? If you were in your normal appearance, Princess Adina might wonder where exactly 'Master Beggar' went. She might get upset. We both know what happens"-he walked to where Adina was sleeping - "when she gets upset."

Afraid Jareth would do something to Adina, Hoggle raced over, almost tripping and crashing into her form. "Shhhh, Hegworth, she needs her rest. Keep watching her, and if you tell her, or if she finds out who you really are, I'll feed you to-" Jareth stopped to think. "Hmmmm, can't do that anymore since our beloved princess here destroyed MacGoogle. I'll have to figure something else out. Though that was impressive. Don't worry Hoggle, you'll have a new torment soon enough." The conversation finished, he disappeared, leaving Adina sleeping soundly and Hoggle/Master Beggar nervously pondering.

Three hours later, Adina awoke to one of the most horrible smells she'd ever encountered. She sprang up immediately. "What is that smell?" Master Beggar woke from where he had been sitting, mumbling. "Oh, milady-" The smell cut him off, and his long beaklike nose wrinkled as much as possible. "Oh gosh!" he moaned, shaking his head. "This is awful- if I may be bold, Your Highness, couldn't you get rid of the smell?"

"Let's find out where it is first," Adina glanced around, quickly realizing source. MacGoogle's remains laid everywhere, and it was absolutely horrendous. "Okay, here goes."

Raising her arms, Adina closed her eyes. The remains rose into the air, and hovered waiting for their destination. _Well that was good, _Adina mused, opening one eye, then closing it again. Her mind searched the entire labyrinth for a suitable place to dump the stuff, and found one. "Go there," she whispered, and the pile obeyed.

Once she was sure it had been placed safely, Adina fully opened her eyes. Master Beggar raced forward, throwing himself at her feet. "A thousand thanks, Your Highness," he cried, head down. "Get up, stop calling me that, you're my friend, Master Beggar." Adina let out an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, I was better off being anonymous."

An hour later,Adina realized they were down to six hours, with the Goblin King's castle growing closer. This thought cheered her immensely, and she burst into her favorite song, "Home and the Heartland". Her voice rang out loud and clear, and a glance at Master Beggar showed he was enjoying the serenade. He looked at her with a smile, and began humming along.

So they went like this, coming down a long corridor that split in two directions. Master Beggar was so lost under the spell of Adina's song that he didn't notice, and walked straight into the wall. " 'Sing out your'- oh Master Beggar!"

Adina stopped and helped him up. "Sorry, Your Highness." Master Beggar stammered, hurriedly standing and falling down again. As Adina pulled him up, she didn't notice a gang of five ruffians sneaking behind them.

**Forgot this- Adina's song is "Home and the Heartland" from _Riverdance, _which is a good CD to listen to while writing. Still don't own _Labyrinth._**


	14. Chapter 13:Ambush, Sort of

**Author's Note: Well if you are a Republican, it is a good day. And even if you're not, it's a good day, 'cause here's another chapter. Sorry it is late in coming but the computer ate it before I could post it, so a new one had to be typed! I'll try to post more than once a week, ok? Thanks!**

Chapter 13: Ambush, Sort of 

"Yeow!" the gang screeched, surrounding Adina and Master Beggar. The two scrambled to protect each other, but this dilemma was solved by a few of the gang grabbing Adina and holding her back. "Now then, my fine beaked man, give us your money or we'll cut the little lady's pretty little head off!"

Adina grimaced as the gang members-one with a bulbous nose and the other with a mustache and beard- shrieked with laughter, pulling out their knives. _Oh gods, _Adina nearly panicked, seeing the blades at her throat. It wasn't the thought of dying that bothered her; knives had always frightened her ever since she was a child.

"Oh no," Master Beggar muttered upon seeing Adina's terrified face. Apparently she was scared of having a knife at her throat. _But then few people weren't, idiot! _"C'mon, long nose! Give us your money! The Fire Gang needs loot!" their leader hooted. Adina glared at her captors, and Master Beggar could see she was tensing. _She's going to faint. I can tell._

_Actually no, I'm not, _Adina said silently, reading her friend's thoughts. She noticed the two holding her- Big Snout and Furry Face, she called them- had loosened their grip, attention focused on Snake Eyes(the leader, Adina named him) taunting Master Beggar. "Oh boys," she cooed demurely, to get their eyes on her. "I've got something." "Ah, a smart little lady! What you got?" Snake Eyes snorted, grinning wolfishly at Adina. "This!"

Adina swung up and kicked him in the stomach. Big Snout and Furry Face yelped in unison, dropping their knives. Quickly Adina drove her elbows into their stomachs, then flung the other two remaining members-Crazy Beak and No Brains! she christened them-onto the ground with a wave of her hand.

"Master Beggar, are you all right?" Adina said as he hobbled toward her. "Yup-Your Highness," he wheezed, gasping for breath. Various cries could be heard from the gang: "Oh, she took off my hand!" "My leg's missing, I can't feel it no more!" "Eyes, they hurt!" Adina walked over to them. "Are you sure that's wise?" Master Beggar called out. "Yes. These fellows aren't bad-they just want to have fun." "Yeah, lady! We was just kiddin' !" Big Snout shouted. "Life's boring here!" Crazy Beak chimed in. "Hmm- what if I fixed that?" Adina asked, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"Sure, go ahead!" the gang cried together. "Stand up, in a straight line. Yes, like that. Good. Let's see , you're the Fire Gang?" "Yup!" they shouted with laughter. "Well-" Just as she was saying that, a vision blurred Adina's eyes, and she muttered a different set of words than intended. Once she could see, "Oh no!"

"Heyyyyyyyyyy!" Snake Eyes yelled. "Look at me!" Where a being similar in form to Adina once stood was now a great red and orange colored creature. It was covered in feathers mixed with fur, and had a beaklike mouth. Retaining some of its previous form, it now had large hands, feet, and pointed ears. A quick glance at the rest of the gang showed they too had changed into the same shape. "Oh dear!" Adina stammered, fully upset. "That wasn't supposed to happen! I must've said the wrong spell! Here, let me fix it....." "No way, lady! This is great!" No Brains screeched. "Yeah, we're cool!" Furry Face cried. "No," Crazy Beak yelped. "We're hot!" "Yeah!" the others agreed. They broke into a wild dance, singing happily. "Wait- at least let me do this!" Adina began to recite another spell until Snake Eyes grabbed her to dance. "No, let me go!" "Okay!" Which he did, except his hands went with her.

Adina screamed in horror, seeing his hands still attached to hers. _This is too much!_ She frantically thought. Then, all five Fireys(Adina decided to call them, she wasn't sure why) whooped, and their heads detached from the bodies and flew via ear. "We're leaving! Bye!" That said, Adina grabbed Master Beggar's hand(and prayed it wouldn't come off, as well), waved farewell to the Fireys, and ran, last hearing them singing: "Chilly down with the Fire Gang......................................"

**Hoped you enjoyed this! I had fun writing it! If you go watch the Firey scene, hopefully you should be able to figure out which Firey is which based on the names Adina gave them. Oh, and I forgot there were five(I thought it was four), which explains why No Brains is named No Brains. I still don't own _Labyrinth, _or the song "Chilly Down", for that matter. Catchy tune, though.........................**


	15. Chapter 14:SilenceI Christen Thee

**Author's Note: Well, so much for posting every week. I had a bad cold that really knocked me for a loop last week, hence no posts. I will probably miss some more weeks due to the production of _The Nutcracker_ that I'm in, but will do the best I can. Wow- 32 reviews! My birthday was yesterday, so that's a nice unexpected present. I'll respond after this next chapter. You guys are all so nice! I hope I can write up to your expectations..............the rest of the story til the end I'm sketching out per se, and so far it's decent(by my standards, I'm a picky person). Sorry for fluking out last week(believe me it was no walk in the park) and hopefully this will make up for it!**

Chapter 14: Silence/I Christen Thee.......

Master Beggar was beginning to worry about Adina. _The deal with the Fireys was several miles ago, and she's still silent and brooding. Come on, so you made one mistake._

_'One mistake.' That's all it was. Easy for him to say, _Adina groused, glaring at Master Beggar. What had that flash been? Well, no way or time to find that out now.

Back in his throne room, surrounded by goblins, Jareth grinned, watching both Adina and Master Beggar/Hoggle's discomfort. "Just remember, Adina, that there are always far worse things you can do besides turning buffoons into.......well, feathery buffoons." Pausing for a minute, he reflected on how far she'd come, and how all that would be in vain. Even though she was coming for an official visit, Adina would not, _could not, _defeat the labyrinth. No one ever would, as long as he had a say in things. _Especially a girl- this one. _

They were now walking through a section of the labyrinth with trees in it. _This is good, _Adina reflected. Her father had always said trees were lucky because fairies could read their souls. _So why have I never been able to read one? Why is it I can only read the thoughts of people, or creatures?_ She assumed Master Beggar was angry with her, since his face was icy as he walked along. _Time to make peace, _Adina sighed, sick of pouting. _What does he like?_

_I wonder if she's still pouting, _Master Beggar asked himself, trudging alongside Adina. _I wish she would smile, a little. _Currently she was staring at the road ahead, probably noticing the tree roots coming up. _I'll trip over those. Hey! Maybe that would make her smile again! _"Your Highness-" "Master Beggar-" Both voices cut off, and noses wrinkled. They spoke one word, in a fine chorus: "Ugh!!!!!!!!!"

"Not again!" Master Beggar almost wailed, covering his long beak. "Another disaster!" Adina muttered, her face buried in her hands. "This, Master Beggar, seems to be where our friendly monster MacGoogle's body went, when I sent it off." They both stared at the swamp, once again silent.

_How do I get us into these situations? _Adina accused herself, looking for a way to cross the mess. _Especially one this smelly. _Then an idea came. "Master Beggar, come here," Adina called out to him, adjusting her cape. "I know how to get across." "Anything, Your Highness!" Master Beggar practically sang. "I knew you'd find a way!"

"Look at that!" a goblin exclaimed, crawling up Jareth's arm to stare at the travelers through the crystal. Two others plopped next to him, thoroughly pinning down the arm of their king. Jareth tried not to be too disgusted. _They aren't interested in this one bit, but put in something like that area Adina created and they're all over themselves to look, _he sighed. "I bet it smells!" a fairly stupid one snickered. They all burst out laughing, and stopped immediately upon seeing Jareth's glare. He continued for a second more, then turned back to Adina. She was standing at the edge of the mess, looking to the other side. Master Beggar was behind her, a puzzled expression on his face. "What's she doing?" "Maybe they're going swimming!" "Yeah! Swimming!" "Hooray! Let's join her!" As the goblins' useless prattle continued, Jareth found himself growing concerned for Adina, which was a feeling he wasn't used to. _She's just a Faerie princess. Why should I care about her? _Without thinking, he whispered into the crystal, "Hurry, Adina dear. You've only got five hours left."

"Milady, are you _sure_ you want to do this?" Master Beggar questioned, while steadying his grip on Adina's back. "I don't know a spell to fly us both across, Master Beggar. Just close your eyes, and don't let go." "Don't whaaaaaaaaaa................."

It was good for Master Beggar that his eyes were closed, lest he see Adina take a flying leap over the bog and sail through the air.

_Can't fly, Mother? Watch me now! _Adina enthused, loving the feeling of defying gravity. _Flying high, and no one's gonna bring me-_ Down they went, on solid ground. "Ok, here's where you get off."

Gently Adina peeled Master Beggar's fingers off her back and lowered him. He stood there for a moment, face pale, eyes closed, repeatedly muttering "I'm crazy. I'm crazy. I'm crazy..........."

Adina turned to look at the swampy puddle they had just crossed, which was now bubbling and gurgling. "I think, since this bog will be here forever due to my spell, that I will call it the Bog of Eternal Stench," she proclaimed, taking Master Beggar by the hand and leading him down the road.

_The castle is so close! This is a piece of cake! _Adina thought confidently. No sooner had that thought occurred when she disappeared, letting out a startled yelp.


	16. Author's Comments

**Author's Response to the Reviews and Comments**

Okay, here we go!

**Moonjava**- my first reviewer! Thanks for being so faithful and keeping up with this! Sorry about the paragraph problem at the beginning. This story was originally not in paragraphs, as you can tell, because I was on a heavy writing kick and when I do that I tend to forget to break things down. Shame on me. Thanks for the luck-I still don't know how I did on the tests though. Lousy post office(maybe I should send the Fireys to work at the post office one day. Teach them to be slow with the mail.) .

**Amazonian21**-The story is definitely rushed in some places; that's due to the fact I was working out what would happen several chapters ahead and would be impatient with myself to get to it( once again, shame on me.) . Hope you like the way I'm writing Jareth- I'm trying to do the best I can with him. Like I said, I always find it a little awkward working with someone else's characters( and especially Jareth to boot!). Who was the owl..............that was part of an earlier idea dealing with Jareth, and it got slipped in there. Sorry. Wouldn't it be nice to throw fire? The world wouldn't have as many idiots.

Adina has to solve it, yes....................dont'cha just love it when the ante is upped like that? And will she do it? (I know how she does it........hee hee hee)

**Sennethe-** You noticed the visitor-very good. Didn't seem like it then, but the visitor is crucial later. Your idea of the Mother's different forms being a foreshadowing of the person they'll become- wow, I didn't even think of that! Thanks! No, the eagle will not be a good thing........or will it? As for the paragraphs, the explanation is in the answer for Moonjava. The owl answer is in Amazonian21's section.

**Nugrey- **Thanks for all your nice comments! They've really made my day when I get them in my e-mails. Sure, bring some cocoa. Make sure it's got marshmallows for me though! Yeah, the Mother I thought up due to a discussion on who exactly Queen Mab was in a Labyrinth group I'm in, and from reading the _Tristan and Isolde_ book series by Rosalind Miles( quite a good series, with all the myths and beliefs and such). I thought about giving Galinda a paragraph to explain herself, but that would take the focus off Adina IMHO. Yes she was frightened, because Adina doesn't look or act like a normal Faerie. Yes she's becoming powerful, and doesn't know which way to go yet. There will be a definite moment when she realizes what to do though. Just re-read that sentence, yeah that's a little awkward. Sorry. Creating science fiction....... wow what a great compliment! I've tried to make up other stuff ever since I was little. Currently with "A Labyrinth Prequel", I'm watching _Labyrinth _for several key moments(mostly for settings and characters), reading _Lord of the Rings, _some Lewis Carroll works, and other _Labyrinth _fanfics, and listening to several different CDs for ideas and inspirations. Also seeing different landscapes from driving and remembering from vacations seems to work too. To sum all that up, I get ideas from everything.

Thanks for being such good reviewers! I promise more will come!


	17. Chapter 15:It Was Only a Dream

Chapter 15- Ce n'etait qu'un reve

"Adina!" Master Beggar yelled upon noticing his friend was gone. He whirled around trying to see her, but only saw Jareth in front of him, arms crossed. "What did you do to her?" Master Beggar accused, glaring ferociously.

"Not a thing. She needed to learn a lesson, that's all," Jareth countered, pulling out a crystal and throwing it around.

"You won't do nothing to her!" Master Beggar all but commanded, watching the crystal glide through the air.

"Come now, Hogbrain! What makes you think I'd hurt her?" He stopped tossing the crystal and grinned at Hoggle. "Miss Adina is quite safe................"

_Adina awoke, not sure where exactly she was. One second with Master Beggar, the next here, wherever here was. She glanced around, and noticed she was on a large bed, overlooking a large banquet hall. Nicely dressed lords and ladies sat at a long table, eating, drinking, talking, and laughing. They were clad in ball clothes and grotesque masks. So far, none of them had seen her._

_Adina climbed off the bed, to realize she was wearing a ball gown as well- a beautiful robin's egg blue, and had equally stunning jewelry on to match. A flight of stairs greeted her, and she slowly went down them. As Adina walked toward the table, the guests stood, and two civilly dressed goblins pulled a chair at the table's head out for her. She sat, and saw at the other end was a male- Faerie, perhaps?- smiling at her._

_He wore a deep red coat, a black shirt with a ruffled ascot, and matching red trousers. Streaks of red and black were in his otherwise blonde hair, and a cicle pendant hung from a black cord around his neck. Adina shook her head, thinking him familiar. _

_Apparently the guests were done eating, for they -and her admirer?- stood, and headed to another room. She found herself standing in there as well. 'Sing something for us,' they mouthed, weaving around each other to leer at her. Adina swirled to find the red and black 'admirer' next to her, and he nodded approvingly. _

_Music began playing from what seemed out of the air, and Adina found herself singing, in an unfamiliar voice, with her admirer joining in-_

_'Hear my cry in my hungering search for you_

_Taste my breath on the wind_

_See the sky_

_As it mirrors my colours_

_Hints and whispers begin_

_I am living to nourish you, cherish you_

_I am pulsing the blood in your veins_

_Feel the magic and power of surrender to life_

_Every finger is touching and searching_

_Until your secrets come out_

_In the dance, as it endlessly circles_

_I linger close to your mouth........'_

_Adina was about to sing the refrain again when the guests burst out laughing in unison, at her and the man standing beside her. In a rage, she brought her hands together and clapped once, loudly. Everything began spinning, and she felt herself flying, then falling. _

Adina landed unceremoniously on a bed of moss. She gasped aloud in response to the dream(though she knew it wasn't), then collapsed in a heap.

**So! Hope you liked this chapter. It was fun to write, with a dreamy air to it. The song is the title from _Riverdance. _Oh, and isn't Jareth wicked for playing with Adina's mind like that? **


	18. Chapter 16:One Big Obstacle

**Author's Note: I'm back! Sort of. I wasn't expecting to post, seeing as this is my school's performance week of _The Nutcracker_, but I had a little time to type this part up. I hope you like it, and I promise there will be more soon(just probably not until after this week is done). **

Chapter 16: One Big Obstacle

"Your Highness!" Master Beggar cried wearily, slowly walking through the forest. _It's no use, _he thought despairingly._ She's gone. I've lost her. _

"Is someone there?" an all too familiar voice asked. "Adina!" Master Beggar raced-as well as he could with short legs and a long robe- over to where Adina was sitting up, holding her head. "Are you okay?"

"I guess so," she replied, shakily standing. "Where'd you go?" "I'll tell you in a few minutes," Adina said, her expression one of determination. "Let's get moving. I don't think we have much time left."

Jareth watched as Adina and Master Beggar hurried through the forest, more annoyed than angry with them. "How did she do that?" an especially silly looking goblin yelped, leering at the duo in the crystal. "Yeah, I thought she'd be out like a light!" another cried, jumping up and down. "Your Highness, what are you gonna do?"

To be honest, he didn't know. He'd thrown everything at her, and she still kept coming. Who knew Faerie girls could be so strong? Their looks certainly hid that little fact.

And just like that, another hindrance came to mind. "This," Jareth said, throwing the crystal up in the air. "will stop her!" The goblins cheered, not hearing what their king said next: "Or nothing will."

"Milady, can't we stop for even a second?" Master Beggar wheezed as he and Adina ran through the forest paths. Three hours to go, and the Goblin City still wasn't any closer.

"No," Adina tossed back, barely out of breath. "Hmph," Master Beggar then fell silent, noting Adina's new facial expression. _She acts and looks like she's running from something-or someone. _

_Faster! _Adina urged herself on, feet flying forward. She had been thinking about the dream- it was a dream, wasn't it? - and what it meant. Master Beggar had turned pale when she told him about it, especially at the mention of her scarlet clad admirer. He seemed so familiar………………"Yiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Master Beggar's shrill broke her thoughts. "Not again!"

Standing in their path was a monstrous giant, glaring dangerously. He wore armor of a silvery tone, carried a large axe and had glowing red eyes. "Halt, and state your business!" he droned in a deep voice. "I am Adina, Princess of the Faeries, and this is Master Beggar. Please let us through." Adina shot back, feeling quite dizzy. "Not right. No!" the giant thundered, slamming his axe down.

_What's wrong with me now? _Adina wondered, having now broken out in a sweat. She barely noticed the axe, only having enough time to perform an awkward shoulder roll. _Need to focus……….I'm so hot though._ Adina quickly ducked off the path, trying to gather her strength for a spell to defeat the metal bully.

"Yikes!" Master Beggar yelped, leaping away from the giant knight. _How can he swing that axe, being covered in iron from head to toe and not fall over?_ Suddenly he noticed Adina off the path, swaying dizzily. She looked ready to faint.

_I'm going to faint, that's right, _Adina mentally confirmed, dragging herself to the safety of some bushes. _Just…need….to get this humongous thing out of the way. If this doesn't work, nothing will. _She slowly raised her arms and halfheartedly chanted: "Kebus ra/Kebus rum/ Leave at once, metal scum/Kebus ra/Kebus rame/ Go back now from where you came!"

A great wind arose, so strong it lifted the iron bully into the air and blew him away…….

Straight into the large gates of the Goblin City, where he remained imbedded in them as their new keeper.

Master Beggar pulled himself out of the log he'd been blown into and rushed to where Adina lay. "Your Highness, you're fantastic! Where do you get all these spells?" he asked, helping her up. "They to me, that's all." Adina slowly regained color in her face. "I don't think we'll make it now, Master Beggar. So get ready to be a goblin."

"But, Adina, look!" Master Beggar took her by the hand and gently led Adina forward. "The back gates to the city!" "Good. I don't think I can walk, though." And Adina disappeared in a flash.

Sighing, Master Beggar began walking. "She woulda beaten the labyrinth if she'd walked. Now, nobody'll ever beat it."

**Please review! Thanks!**


	19. Chapter 17:Second Impressions

**Author's Note: Canace the Christmas fairy has returned! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this so far! (I do hope you all come back to read the rest…….) We're about to have Jareth and Adina meet, so let the fun begin!**

**Chapter 17: Second Impressions**

Goblins shouted and chickens flew as Adina appeared inside the city. She stood still, gaining her bearings, and eyed the streets. _I need to wait for Master Beggar though. He should be coming along. _

Several minutes later, he still hadn't walked through the gates. _Where could he have gone?_ Adina wondered, reaching out with her senses. Nothing. Sadness filled her, mixed with confusion. _He'd want me to go on. I'll miss you, my friend. _She sighed, and began walking , as goblins began quickly trailing behind her.

Jareth looked out the highest window of his castle, hearing a commotion from the city below. _I wonder how Adina and Hoggle are doing. They're probably crushed, due to Humongous and that axe of his. _

Conjuring a crystal, he almost fell out of the window upon seeing Adina walking in the city streets, goblins following. _How did she get here so quickly? Without finishing the labyrinth? Impossible, I would've known! _Jareth silently argued with himself, trying to cover the inner confusion that was rising.

The captain of his guard entered and started speaking, but Jareth abruptly cut him off. "Yes, I know she's here. Go down and give her a formal escort to the throne room." The sooner the better.

Adina glanced around as the goblin guards walked her to the throne room. She hoped to see Master Beggar somewhere in the crowd, but as of yet, there was no such luck. The goblins all immediately straightened as they entered a large room, filled with more of their kind. In the middle of the room stood- "Princess Adina. I'm Jareth, King of the Goblin Realm. Welcome."

Master Beggar peeked out from behind a corner and watched the proceedings. Adina had looked shocked upon seeing Jareth, and he knew why. _That's what happens when he sends you a dream crystal, Adina, and he appears in it. _He pulled back in terror, afraid Adina would see him. _I never want her to see me again. Not after what I've done. _

_What's wrong, Princess? Don't like what you see?_ Jareth thought, smiling down at her. She had betrayed her surprise at seeing him by turning pale, but had remained silent. "Thank you, Your Majesty. It is an honor to be here," Adina spoke finally looking at him again. Her voice trembled a little, showing how shaken up she was. "I hope your visit will increase the pleasant relationship our kingdoms have," he countered, moving toward her with a triumphant smile.

Adina tried not to let him see how much he truly bothered her. _Why, if he wants good relations, would he do that to me? Scare me half to death?_ He was the one who had caused that awful dream; she was certain of it by the look on his face. She glanced at the goblins to regain her composure, and replied, "That is my fondest wish too, Your Majesty."

She was the picture of sweetness itself until she felt a nudge in her mind. _Why, that……..pile of stench! Try to read my mind, will he? Take this, o Goblin King!_ Adina mentally shoved Jareth as hard as possible. She still appeared sweet and innocent, trying not to laugh at the look on his face as he flew across the room, into a pile of cushions.

_Who does she think she is?The Mother? To walk in and start shoving me around! _Jareth raged. Slowly, he stood, all the while masking his fury at the bold Faerie girl. "Your Highness," he finally spat out, "this evening there will be a ball in your honor. Until then, you may rest in your chambers, which these fellows will show you to." As Adina left the room, he glared at her. _Try that again, little Princess, and your Faerie realm will have one less resident!_

**And this is all on their first true meeting! And why is Master Beggar avoiding Adina? So, what do you think? Please review!**


	20. Chapter 18:Preparing for the Ball

**Author's Note: Hope this is long enough for everybody! And welcome, LadySorrow! You might be right with your guesses…………or wrong. Just keep reading and find out! Merry Christmas! **

**Chapter 18: Preparing for the Ball/Being Noticed**

Adina stood in the middle of her room, gazing at the beautiful furniture and formal décor. "It's nothing like the guest rooms back home, but it's nice," she sighed, sitting on the large bed. "Too bad I can't say the same about my host." What was with him anyway? Adina let out another sigh. "I wish I had someone to talk to." She looked down, and grinned suddenly. "Maybe I do!"

"Adina, darling! So nice to hear from you! Are you well?" the Queen exclaimed, looking at her daughter. "I'm fine, Mother. I got here safe and sound." "But, Adina! No maids or escorts! Not even your lovely clothes and jewelry I had prepared for you! How are you going to survive?"

"I'll be fine, Mother, don't worry," Adina said into the bracelet they had given her. _Knowing Mother's taste in clothes and jewels, I'm rather glad none of that stuff is here. _Holding back a grimace at the thought of the outfits, Adina turned her attention back to the Queen.

"-But, but," the Queen was sputtering. "Image is everything! Nothing matters but the way you are viewed! Here your intelligence will mean nothing!" _If I don't stop this now, she'll be ranting for hours. I don't think she's concerned about me one bit! _ "Mother, I have a ball to prepare for. I will be fine, " Adina stated firmly, ending the conversation.

Once that was done, she sat back down on her bed. Mentally reviewing royal ball protocol, Adina hoped she could think of a solution as to what to wear. _Well, there are the curtains. I could sew a gown from those- no, that's what a scarlet Faerie would do!_

She crossed over to the closet, opened it, and saw every type of clothing imaginable inside- dresses, shirts, jackets, skirts, coats, even gloves and hats. _He may be rude, but at least I know I have clothes,_ Adina thought gratefully. Now, what to wear?

In his bedroom, Jareth paced back and forth, thinking about Adina. _Certainly a bold one. She'll be a good Queen for the Faeries some day. _Yet there had been a different look in her eyes as she'd pushed him- one of sadness, and defiance. What could she possibly be- "This is ridiculous!" he burst out, annoyed. "I don't know her at all, and I'm concerned for her! Why?"

It was definitely something to think about.

Later that evening, beautifully dressed men and women of all kinds entered the Goblin King's castle. They were excited for two reasons: one, to see the lovely young Faerie princess, and two, because there hadn't been a ball of this magnitude in a long time. Gaily chattering, the guests walked into a glittering ballroom.

The room sparkled under a large chandelier. Its gold fixtures and crystals shone, thanks to the thousand candles upon it. Gold covered chairs lined ivory walls, and above the dancing floor was a staircase leading to the Goblin King's throne.

Eagerly, the guests poured in, their quiet murmurs of approval contrasting their movements. Two goblins entered, each carrying a silver trumpet, and blew into them loudly. A wizened dwarf entered, looking rather glum, and announced, "His Majesty, King Jareth of the Goblins, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Adina of the Faeries!"

After his announcement, Hoggle watched the royal pair enter the room, noting how they stared straight ahead. _It's like they don't even know who's next to 'em, _he thought. _Adina looks pretty, though. Still in black- I wouldn'ta thought Jareth'd given her any black dresses. _Sighing, Hoggle retreated into the shadows, hoping Adina wouldn't notice him. "I don't want her to see me again. Not after what I did. Damn that Jareth."

Jareth smiled regally as he escorted Adina up the staircase to her seat. _Things are going well, even if the little brat is clinging to all black. Why would a Faerie dress so seriously?_ He inwardly groaned, once again furious with himself. _Why am I so concerned? I don't love her, she's not my sister, so why? _

_So far, so good, _Adina mused, watching the guests all curtsy or bow to them. _His Royal Tightness hasn't been a pain so far, and my gown is lovely……._ She had chosen a dress of the blackest silk, with a sweeping train. A silver circlet with black stones sat on her head, and matching earrings, a necklace, and bracelet completed her ensemble. _Certainly better than the yellow monstrosity I had to wear at the last ball!_

Another blast of trumpets sounded, and Adina groaned, knowing only too well what it meant. _The first dance, by the host and guest of honor. Oh no! _Too late to disappear now.

Jareth walked Adina to the center of the floor, as was the tradition. _She looks as if she'd rather be back in the labyrinth, than dance with me, _he thought, somewhat amused. _Well, Adina, the feeling is mutual. _Sighing, Jareth turned to face her and begin.

_Somebody get me out of this! I'd rather die!_ Adina inwardly yelped, smiling at the guests. She knew how to dance, but wanted nothing to do with the Goblin King.

And suddenly, a solution came to her. She cleared her throat, looked Jareth in the eye, and spoke. "Your Majesty-"- she had everyone's attention so far- "-this ball cannot continue!"

**Oh boy! And what is Adina up to now? **


	21. Chapter 19:O Silvery Moon

**Author's Note: My mother doesn't want me to be on the computer so much, so new chapters will be posted whenever she lets me get on. Sorry, I'm not too thrilled about it either! Oh, and Adina's song(gee, she has a lot of 'em) is "O Silvery Moon", or "Song to the Moon" from the opera _Rusalka._ And the reason it doesn't rhyme is because it's English translated from Czech. Thanks for reading and being patient! **

**Chapter 19: O Silvery Moon**

The guests gasped as one upon hearing Adina's announcement. Who did this brash young girl think she was, with such a bold statement? "Disgraceful!" they murmured. "Well, she is a Faerie, after all." "Heathen!" "Shh, she's speaking."

_Heathen, hmph! I should be insulted, _Adina mused. _Wait 'til they hear this! _She turned to Jareth, who was smiling politely in contrast to his guests' shocked faces. "Your Majesty," Adina began, "in my kingdom it is the custom to open a ball with a much cherished song. May I?" To her amusement, he quickly nodded. Apparently the Goblin King had no desire to dance with her either. "Then I will begin," she continued. "This song is my mother's, the Faerie Queen's, favorite." Adina closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and began singing in a clear, beautiful voice:

_"Moon high up in the sky_

_You light up vast distances_

_You wander through the wide, wide world_

_Looking into the homes of men_

_Stay awhile, moon,_

_Tell me, oh tell me where my beloved is!_

_Tell him, silvery moon,_

_That my arms embrace him,_

_So that at least in his dreams_

_He may remember me!_

_Shine for him in far away places,_

_Shine for him,_

_Tell him, oh tell him_

_Who is waiting here!_

_If he dreams about me,_

_Let that remembrance waken him!_

_Moon, don't go away, don't go away,_

_Moon, don't go away!"_

And when she had finished, silence reigned in the castle, followed by a storm of applause and cheers. Even the goblins in the castle whooped and clapped. They were not very intelligent, but they knew when something they heard was lovely.

At the back of the crowd, one of the guests bowed his head and wept, memories rekindled. He gazed at the Faerie princess, who was in the middle of a low curtsy. She seemed rather stunned by the reaction, looking at her guests' facial expressions. The guest smiled and joined in the applause, thinking all the while, _I need to speak with her soon. Then I will be sure._

Jareth tried not to stare at Adina, but this was a losing battle. _And where did that come from? _He thought incredulously. _She didn't sing that well the entire time in the labyrinth! Maybe I shouldn't dislike her so much. _Looking again, Jareth noticedshe was now moving through the crowd, stopping to speak to a few people, but was seemingly distracted. For a brief moment, she disappeared, then went out onto a balcony.

_Why am I so tired? _Adina thought, leaning on the railing. She was stunned with herself-never before had she sung that song so well. _I learned it from Mother, but she always told me it was too hard, no matter how much I tried it out before her. _A wave of loneliness and longing for her mother washed over Adina, until she heard footsteps. Turning, she saw a tall middle aged man standing there, staring at her.

He realized she had noticed, and quickly bowed. "Your Highness, forgive this intrusion, please!" he stammered, eyes averted down. This was hard to do, since the Princess was so lovely. "Don't worry," she replied, putting him at ease. "What's your name?"

_What could she possibly be doing out there? _Jareth thought. It had been a long time since Adina had left, followed a few minutes later by a tall masked fellow. _I know him…..but from where?_ Just then, Adina reentered, smiling. _Well, that's good. I wonder what happened between them. Now then, time to make peace…… _With a big smile, he strode over to her. "Your Highness! Would you care to join me?" Jareth asked, offering Adina his arm.

_Oh boy, what does he want? _Adina groaned. She was completely unprepared for the Goblin King's actions: taking her hand, and kissing it, then offering his arm to her. "Princess," he exclaimed warmly, "your song was beautiful. Thank you, a thousand times."

Adina's eyes grew wide, and she was startled to realize he truly meant it. "You're welcome. As I said, that is my mother's favorite song. She sang it to me, when I was a child." _Odd. That guest, just asked me about it…….._

"Adina," Jareth spoke again. "I realize we haven't gotten along very well. Starting now, can we try to reverse that?"

_This is a day of surprises! _Adina thought, utterly shocked. _This might be a trick…… but _i_f he really means it……… _"I would like nothing better, Your Majesty," she finally responded.

"Please, Adina, call me Jareth," the Goblin King corrected her. "Okay then……Jareth."

In the corner, the tall man who'd talked with Adina smiled, seeing her and Jareth together. "One step down," he grinned, turning to leave, "and now for another."

**Well, Adina and Jareth are getting along for the time being, but who's the tall guy? Hopefully we'll find out soon! Please review!**


	22. Chapter 20:Then Her World was Shattered

**Chapter 20: Then Her World was Shattered**

The following days were peaceful for Adina and Jareth. He took her on a tour of the entire Goblin Realm, introduced her to various officials, and together they visited different goblin villages. In turn, she told him about the Faerie Kingdom, assisted with holding court, and sang whenever Jareth wished. They began to think of each other as friends- something neither one had ever really had before. All was well, but back in the Faerie Kingdom…………

"Oh, Your Majesty!" Galinda said, trying to soothe her sobbing mistress. "I'm sure the King will recover!"

The Queen let out a wail, gazing into empty space. "Why?" She sighed, head buried in her hands. "He was well the day Adina arrived in the Goblin City! I remember, because he told me how proud of her he was! Oh!" The Queen began to cry again.

"It will be fine, Your Majesty," Galinda comforted her, while at the same time thinking, _Please, Adina! Come back, your mother needs you!_

" 'Springtime that begins……' " Adina was singing lightly, eyes closed as always. She stood in the center of the throne room, with Jareth and several goblins listening. At first she'd thought he was forcing them to do so, but after hearing their praises even when the Goblin King was not around, Adina realized they genuinely liked it.

All at once, a vision appeared, so horrible Adina cried out and covered her face. "No, please no!" she begged, swaying. _Mother above mothers, let it be false!_

Jareth immediately was at her side. _She's trembling! There's a layer of cold sweat on her face! _"Adina, what's happened? What do you see?" She let out a low moan and finally opened her eyes. _She's really frightened. I can see nothing in her eyes but pain._

_Merciful Mother, please no……….._ Adina's mind repeated. She heard Jareth's concern, and slowly nodded. Finding her voice, she spoke. "I saw a bloody dagger. It was in the sky, and flew to my parents' chambers. There it stabbed a pillow on their bed, many, many times!"

"But, Adina, it's just a vision! Visions are not always the truth, you cannot take them for granted!"

"Most of mine are true, or eventually come true, and I can't just stay here and know this might! I've got to leave. Goodbye, Jareth." With a quick hug for him, Adina ran over to the window. Saying a quick spell, she assumed her hawk form, and was gone.

A few seconds later, a dark form stepped from the shadows. "Jareth, dear boy!" it exclaimed, joining the Goblin King in the center room, where he was gazing out the window.

"Father! I wasn't expecting you," Jareth turned, embracing him. "I know, it was a spur of the minute decision on my part," his father replied. "And how are things lately?"

"Well, Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Faeries just left, on urgent business," Jareth finally said, somewhat sadly. Only now did he fully realize how much he would miss her company.

"Oh, that's too bad," his father replied distantly, hiding a smile. "Well, come along………"

**Sorry this is short! (and yes, the chapter title is a tribute to _Phantom of the Opera_. No, I haven't seen the movie; I have seen the musical it's based on, however. ) ** **Why is Jareth's dad happy about Adina's trauma? And will her father be okay when she arrives? I'm currently busy with school, so besides the fact I can't get on the computer that much plus that might delay the story a bit. I am really sorry, but please be patient with me! Keep on reviewing and tell your friends about my little story! Every comment helps!**


	23. Chapter 21:What Dreams will Bring

**Chapter 21:What Dreams will bring **

_Winds, speed me on! Wings, fly fast! _Adina urged herself, soaring towards her home. She truly hoped she was wrong, but it was better to be sure. At last, the castle came into view. Spying her mother's balcony, Adina flew to it, resuming her Faery form upon landing. "Mother! Father!" she cried, desperation in her voice.

"Adina….Your Highness," Galinda stepped forth, relieved. "Galinda, what's wrong? I saw my parents in trouble," Adina burst out. "No one, thank the Mother," Galinda frowned, wondering just how she had seen that. "But….your father, His Majesty the King, is ill. Come."

They walked down a few rooms, and into one of the guest chambers. There, bathed in a gold light, on a large bed, laid the King. He was pale, and stared straight ahead, seeing nothing. Surrounding him were the Queen, his Councilors, and guards.

"Oh, Father," Adina whispered. She slowly walked up, and knelt beside his bed. Gently taking her father's hand, Adina kissed it, then laid it down. She turned to her mother, and hugged her. No response. "Excuse me for a moment, Mother, Father, gentlemen," Adina nodded to all present, then left the room.

_She didn't know me! _Adina despaired, entering her chambers. _My father is sick, and my mother doesn't know me from Galinda! _She threw herself onto her bed, feeling more alone than ever. _I don't know how to help Father. No one does._ Her mind drifted, and Adina found her thoughts were on the Goblin City. _I was so happy there. I wasn't gaped at, or anything, and I had friends- Jareth and Master Beggar. _

Letting out a sigh, she murmured, "I wish I could talk to one of them, right now." Hearing a small plop, Adina glanced down. There, at the foot of her bed, was a single crystal. _Jareth,_ she smiled, picking it up. _It's nice to know he cares. _At least someone did.

In the corridors of the castle, Hoggle hurried about, thinking all the while. _Adina's gone. I never told her why I left. She won't be back. _He was so upset, he didn't notice the pair of legs he crashed into. "Your- my lord!" Hoggle stammered, bowing awkwardly.

"Well, Hogwart!" It was Jareth's father. "And how are you faring?"

Against his better judgment, Hoggle decided to be honest. "Terrible! I hate what you made me do!" "Oh, you mean when you told me about…..what's her name?"

"Adina!" Hoggle shot back. "I was so ashamed, I left her at the city gates! Why'd you need to know all that anyway?"

"Never mind, or I'll get Jareth to dump you in the Bog of Eternal Stench!" Jareth's father suddenly snapped, glaring icily at the cowering dwarf. With that, he swirled off. _Time to get this whole operation sped up._

Adina was sleeping in her bed, a dreamless sleep. Jareth's crystal was safely hidden, lest one of the ladies in waiting find and break it by accident. A breeze blew through the room, and with it came a dream…………

**Sorry this is so late! I miss posting as much as I used to, so I hope you guys won't mind that the story will come slowly. However, more will definitely be coming, I guarantee it! Please review! **


	24. Chapter 22:She Couldn't Be Happier

**Author's Note: Yay, I'm back! I had a bad case of writer's block, plus various projects for college next year. Besides, Adina and Jareth have sworn to come after me if I don't write more down. Having both a hawk and an owl sit outside in your backyard will make you jumpstart! (Seriously. I'm not kidding about them being there.) So, here we go!**

**Chapter 22: She Couldn't be Happier**

"Lady Galinda! How is the King today?" a young page asked the next morning. "Not any better. Now shoo!" The older Faerie quietly entered her royal mistress's chambers, looking this way and that. _I wonder where Adina is. I haven't seen her all morning. _

"Hi, Galinda!" Adina cheerfully exclaimed, vaulting over the Queen's balcony and into the room. "Your Highness!" the maid nearly shrieked. "Oh, sorry. Did I startle you?" All the princess received was a cold stare. " I have a cure for my father," Adina said, soberly.

Galinda's eyelids snapped open, taking that in. "Well, Your Highness, come on!" She started to fly off, then stopped. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I forgot you can't fly!"

"No," Adina said, "but this is better." And she crossed over to the wall, and walked through it.

"Please wake up, darling!" the Queen cried, shaking her husband's arms. "What'll I do without you?" Behind her, the King's advisors kept a close vigil, though they wanted to leave. "Doesn't Her Majesty know he might as well die?" one whispered. "Nothing will help," murmured another.

A great clamor arose outside the room, as Galinda entered, out of breath. "Your Majesties," she wheezed, dropping into a quick curtsy, "I-we-that, is- Her Highness- may have something to heal His Majesty."

"I do have something, not may," Adina called out, breezing in via the left wall.

"Walking through walls," the lords muttered. "Is there anything she can't do?"

"Are you absolutely certain, Adina?" the Queen stammered, hope rising in her voice.

"Yes, Mother. Now then………….." Pulling out a small musky vial, Adina opened her father's mouth and poured the contents down his throat. Several tense minutes passed……

"Imogene?" The Queen sprang forward, hearing her husband's voice. "Sylvan!" "Dearest, why are you crying?" And where's Adina?"

"Father," Adina breathed, falling into his arms. The Queen followed her, and the three of them stayed that way, for a long time.

Outside, an eagle smiled. _Have your joy now, _it thought, _because it won't last long._

In his castle, Jareth sat still, lost in thought. "Sire?" He glanced up, to see Higgle-Hoggle, that was his name-there, shuffling his feet nervously. Might as well see what the dwarf wanted. "Is Her Highness, Princess Adina, okay?"

There was a question he'd been asking himself since they had last talked, but spying was not one of Jareth's strong points. Time to fix that. "Well, let's have a look, Hogwid?"

_Wait a sec! He's bein' nice! He must be worried about her too, _Hoggle guessed silently. A glance into the crystal showed their Majesties King Sylvan and Queen Imogene with Adina sitting nearby. She was radiant with happiness, eagerly talking. "She looks happy enough," he sighed with relief. "I feel better now."

_I wish I could say the same, _Jareth thought, turning the crystal around. _Something is wrong there, or will be…………_

"…..And so we toured the Goblin Realm," Adina finished her tale, looking at her parents.

"Very good, dear!" the King praised, a faint smile on his lips. "I'm so proud of you, Adina!" her mother chimed in, patting Adina's hands.

Under her parents' gazes, Adina smiled, and blinked back tears. _They're proud of me. For once! Me! _ In a rush of emotion, she exclaimed, "I love you, Mother, Father."

"We love you too, Adina," the King said warmly. "But now, I must rest."

"Yes, Father," Adina smiled at him. "Pleasant dreams." With that, she left the room, feeling happier than she ever had before.

**Please review! **


	25. Chapter 23:Shadows Falling

**Chapter 23:Shadows Falling**

Night soon fell, and the castle was quiet. All the courtiers slept, relieved that their king was finally better. Adina was sleeping peacefully in her room, blissfully dreaming of having a normal life at last.

A scream broke the silence, and Adina jumped out of bed at the sound. "Mother save us, what was that?" Galinda cried, her head whirling to see.

Dull horror filled Adina at once. _No, please no!_ her mind screamed. Grabbing a robe, she ran through the wall…………

Into the king's room, where he was thrashing in his bed, a great shadow sitting on top of him. It slashed at his face continuously, eyes glittering.

"No!" Adina shrieked, desperation in her voice. She raised her arms and threw fireballs at the figure, for lack of a prepared spell. It hissed, and leapt out the window. Adina ran over to the shattered pane, then to her father.

"Sylvan!" the Queen entered with several guards, eyes wide open. He laid there, breathing heavily, blood flowing freely from his wounds. "Mother, help me!"

"Daddy," Adina begged, softly chanting a spell to heal him.

The Queen shoved her aside, wailing, "Don't leave me alone, you musn't! Please!" Her husband gazed her tenderly, and looked at the guards. Then , seeing Adina, he gasped……and was gone.

In his bedroom, Jareth woke, and sat straight up. _Pain, and lots of it. It feels like……..Adina! _ Grabbing a crystal, he saw her running, into a garden. She was sobbing heavily, and screaming at the moon, "Why! What did he do! Why?" So great was her suffering that all the trees around Adina burst into flame. _Oh no…_Jareth closed his eyes, bowed his head. _Adina, you were right. _ Seeing the future…yet another thing she could do. Was there no limit in sight for her abilities?

_Daddy, why? Everything was so good. You loved me, and Mother, and we would be a family at last, _Adina mourned, sobbing all the while. She could feel the flames surrounding her, burning brightly. _Well, another thing I've screwed up. All the good it does to be the 'strongest magical person' you've ever met, Professor Boyce, if you can't save those you love from death. _Blinded by her tears, she fell to the ground.

**Poor Adina…………….will things get better for her? Let's hope so! And I hope someone will please review my story………….it isn't that bad, is it? If anyone reads this, please review! Your opinion is very valuable to me.**


	26. Chapter 24:Trials and Tribulations

**Chapter 24: Trials and Tribulations**

Several weeks later, Adina's life had only gotten worse. Since the King's funeral, no one had spoken to her. The Queen remained in a daze, with the Advisors helping her rule. Adina tried to see her everyday, but usually one of the Advisors intercepted her and would say, "I'm sorry, your mother can't see you today. I'll let her know you came, though." Out of respect for her mother's feelings, Adina didn't try to get to her though the walls. The last thing the poor woman needed was to be frightened half to death.

Adina sat in her study, reading, when there was a knock at the door. _Maybe Mother finally wants to see me. Sure, like the Advisors would allow that. _"Come in."

"Your Highness," Galinda greeted her solemnly from the doorway. "Your presence is requested by the Advisors. They say to come quickly, please."

Neutral faces and silence greeted Adina as she entered the Advisory Chamber. Its members were all sitting in a circle, with the Queen among them.

"Mother," Adina whispered. She walked over to the Queen's chair, but one of the Advisors abruptly blocked her path.

"Your Highness, that's not why you're here," he stated coldly. "We have some questions for you, that are vital to the future of the Faerie Realm."

_Questions? What is this, a trial? _Adina wondered. _Might as well get it over with. _She walked to the middle of the room, her face a mask.

"Your Highness," they began. "On the night of His Majesty's death, where were you?"

"In my chambers, sleeping. I heard a scream, and got up to see what it was," Adina answered calmly. _No harm in that one. _

"Did you go down the corridors of the castle, to His Majesty's rooms?" another asked, staring hard.

"No, I wanted to get there as fast as I could, to help, so I went through the walls." _And where exactly is this going?_

"You were the first in there, then," a tall member confirmed.

"Yes," Adina said, getting annoyed. _The point of all this is………………_

"So, was anyone else in there besides yourself and His Majesty?" the first speaker questioned.

_Oh no, no, no………… _"Yes, a shadowy form. It was sitting on top of my father, slashing at him with claws," Adina countered, glancing at the Queen. She was staring at the ground, her face pale.

"Claws," another Advisor smirked. "Really, Your Highness."

_That does it! No more of this! _Adina raged, knowing full well what they were implying. "Why don't you just say it?" she snapped, glaring at each Advisor in turn. "You think I killed my father!"

"Well, you were the first one there," the tall Advisor said slowly.

"By that logic, what if Mother'd gotten there first? Does that mean you'd suspect her instead?" And these men were supposed to be wise?

"She wasn't. You were, and we know of your abilities," another shot back furiously.

_How could they! _Adina fumed, caught between shock and anger. "I don't believe this! I will not hear anymore of these silly accusations without proof!" She turned to leave, but guards blocked her path. "Mother! You know I wouldn't!"

"Adina…….I don't know what to believe with you, anymore," the Queen stated slowly, never looking at her daughter's distraught face.

_Mother, no! I loved him too much! You know that! _Adina pleaded silently. She stood still, barely hearing "Until further notice, do not leave this castle, or your chambers." _And now treated like a criminal! _"Catch me first," Adina spat out, vaulting past the guards and through the wall.

Galinda hummed a simple tune as she fluffed up the pillows in the Princess's chambers. Hopefully Her Highness was having a much needed talk with Her Majesty, the Queen. It would be good for both of them……….

And in burst Adina, clearly in a hurry. "Your Highness, what's wrong?" the faithful maid asked.

"They've accused me of murder!" she responded, pulling on her cape and glancing around. "I swear to the Mother, I did not! Since the all wise Advisors don't believe me, I can't stay here anymore."

Galinda watched in stunned horror as Adina grabbed a shoulder bag and put a few things in it. "But where will you go?" she finally managed to squeak out.

"I…..good question," Adina responded. She thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. _Of course! It's all I have left. _Walking to a cabinet, she moved a few books and pulled out the crystal Jareth had given her. Closing her eyes, she whispered, " Jareth……please…..I need you, right now."

As he soared through the sky, Jareth wondered what exactly was wrong. Despite her calm manner, he'd seen fear and despair in Adina's eyes. _Her father's dead, what else could happen? _There was her window, open in anticipation of his arrival. Upon landing there, he assumed his natural form. Adina stood in front of him, with a Faerie woman behind her. "Adina, what…." A fierce pounding on the door cut him off.

The guards, led by the Advisors, finally plodded into the first room. "Find her quickly!" the tallest Advisor barked. "We've got you now, Princess!"

_Here goes….. _Adina turned to Galinda and placed her hands on the maid's shoulders. "No matter what happens to me, please take care of my mother." She hurried to the window and climbed up next to Jareth, just in time for the guards to burst into the room.

"Grab her!" all the Advisors shouted. Galinda was roughly pushed out of the way, and gasped in astonishment. "Stop, Princess, where you are!"

_They really think I'm just going to go along peacefully? Think again! _Adina all but sneered. She smiled wickedly, eyes firey. "No, you stop!" she shot back maliciously.

Raising her hands, Adina nearly laughed as the guards and Advisors found their feet frozen solid to the ground. "Just try to find me! Oh wait, that won't be possible, since you appear to be stuck on yourselves!"

"Are you ready to go?" Jareth asked her, amused and amazed by the whole scene.

"Let's go," Adina simply replied, smiling at him. In a blink of an eye, they were gone, soaring through the sky together as owl and hawk.

**Boy, what a change! Now what will the daring duo do? Hope you enjoyed the length of this chapter! Next week is dress rehearsal/performance week for my ballet recital, so I might not get to post as much. As you know, _Labyrinth_ does not belong to me, nor do any characters from the film. Adina and the others are all mine, however. Please review! **


	27. Chapter 25:In Adina's Defense

**Chapter 25:In Adina's Defense**

In the castle of the Goblin King, confusion reigned, mainly due to the ruler's abrupt departure. For the time being, Hoggle seemed to be the only sane one. "Now, where'd he go, rushin' off like that? That ain't his style," he muttered to himself. Wandering along, Hoggle found himself in the throne room. "I wonder how long he'll be gone. Whatever the case, peace at last."

The sudden sound of flapping wings interrupted his reverie, and he leapt backward. _I spoke too soon!_

Within seconds, Jareth entered, followed by………… "Adina!" Hoggle cried in astonishment. _Darn it! _ he cursed himself for his slip. "I mean, welcome back, Your Highness," Hoggle quickly stammered, with a low bow.

_He seems familiar…………where do I know him from? _Adina puzzled, looking at the prostrate dwarf. _Short, kowtowing…………..Master Beggar! _She stared at him harder, matching the similarities. _But why would he appear like that, if this is his true form? Or was that his real shape? _Adina walked over to the dwarf. "Stand up. What's your name?

"Ah, it's Hoggle, Your Highness," he nodded his head. _Maybe she suspects, what then? _Considering how she'd abruptly left, and was suddenly back, Hoggle assumed Adina's motive behind her quick return was not good.

Before they could say anything else, Jareth stepped between Hoggle and Adina. "Higdwart runs various errands for me; in fact, he's supposed to do one right now." _Get out of here, Hoggle; she will eventually figure it out. Judging from her face, she might right now, and the mood she's currently in, she'd kill you as soon as look at you._

Upon hearing that, Hoggle bowed again, saying "Ah………….oh! Excuse me, Your Majesty, Your Highness." He hurried down the hall, all the while wishing and cursing himself. _I wish I'd never met her. I'm only gonna hurt her._

Back in the throne room, Jareth had turned to Adina. "Now, please tell me exactly what is going on!" As she did, he felt a mixture of sympathy, horror, and anger. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! They have no proof, merely a flimsy excuse!" Jareth raged, sitting on the throne.

"You don't have to tell me," Adina sighed. She suddenly felt exhausted, in body and soul. "So, unless you have any objections, may I stay here, until everything at home calms down?"

Walking through the halls, Hoggle was shaking his head, thinking about the whole miserable situation he'd gotten himself into. Passing an empty room, he let out a yelp when someone dragged him into it. "What the-?"

"Hello, Higspit! We just keep running into each other, don't we?" Jareth's father grinned broadly, spinning the dwarf around to face him.

"Ya know, you're a sneaky, rotten fiend!" The moment he said it, Hoggle cowered, knowing his place.

"Hmmm, that's the nicest thing you've ever said!" the older Fae countered, giving Hoggle a pinch on his cheek. "Now listen to me, you impertinent little pile of trash, where did Jareth go?"

"I-ah-" "Don't lie, I heard you with him just now!"

"To the Faerie Realm. He brought Princess Adina back with him, I don't know why, that's all I know, I swear!" Hoggle backed up carefully.

Jareth's father appeared lost in thought, then glanced at him. "And what sort of mood were they in?"

_What is blazes is he up to now? _"Yer son, His Majesty, seemed awfully protective of the Princess," Hoggle said slowly, thinking and remembering. "And she was distracted."

"Do you know why?" He stared hard at Hoggle.

"I'm guessing it had to do with where she came from, and that's all I'm sayin' !" Hoggle snapped, tired of these endless questions.

"Very good, Higgledy! You may go," Jareth's father replied, throwing him a small purse.

Once he'd reached the courtyard, Hoggle opened the purse. Inside was an array of seeds- flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. _Now, why would he give me these? It's not like that information was important, _he wondered. Whatever the case, he'd plant them, very carefully.

That evening, Adina sat in a window, staring at the night sky. _What a day this turned out to be, _she sighed, shifting her position. _Mother? Are you thinking, too? Please forgive me. I miss you so much. _Softly Adina began singing:

"_Well?... I'll go far away,_

_As the church bell's echo goes_

_There, amid the white snow,_

_There, amid the golden clouds,_

_There where hope_

_Is regret and sorrow!_

_O happy home of my mother,_

_I will leave you far behind,_

_And perhaps will never again_

_Return to you,_

_You will never see her again!_

_Never again, never again!_

_Alone, I shall go far away,_

_Like the church bell's echo_

_There, amid the white snow,_

_Alone, I shall go far away_

_And amid the golden clouds…………………………"_

Passing by, Jareth heard Adina's song. He'd been busy, and had completely forgotten about her. Time to see how she was doing. "No matter what the song is, I never tire of hearing you sing, Adina," Jareth began, crossing to her side. She smiled a thank-you, and he was relieved.

"I enjoy singing. It's always been a great comfort to me," Adina replied, speaking truthfully. Her face fell a little. "Especially now." _Mother, I'm lonely. _

_Get her mind off her troubles! _Jareth urged himself. "Adina" –she was looking at him, good so far- "would you please sing something for me?"

"What do you want to hear?"

"Oh, anything, but not too sad."

"Okay," Adina said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "but you have to sing too!" Before he could protest, she started singing:

"_How can the small flowers grow_

_If the wild winds blow_

_And the cold snow is all around…….."_

The lyrics and melody were familiar to Jareth, so he quickly joined in-

"_Where will the frail birds fly_

_If their homes on high _

_Have been torn down to the ground……."_

They sang the chorus together, voices swooping and diving:

"_Lift the Wings_

_That carry me away from here and_

_Fill the sail_

_That breaks the line to home_

_But when I'm miles and miles apart from you_

_I'm beside you when I think of you_

_A Stoirin a Gra"_

Enjoying himself immensely, Jareth began the second verse:

"_How can a tree stand tall_

_If a rain won't fall _

_To wash its branches down….."_

Staring straight at him, Adina took up the rest:

"_And how can the heart survive_

_Can it stay alive _

_If its love's denied for long….."_

Out into the night, they finished:

"_Lift the Wings_

_That carry me away from here and_

_Fill the Sail_

_That breaks the line to home_

_But when I'm miles and miles apart from you_

_I'm beside you when I think of you-a Stoirin_

_And I'm with you as I dream of you-a Stoirin_

_And a song will bring me near to you-a Stoirin a Gra"_

"Bravi!" a voice cried, entering.

"Father," Jareth acknowleged.

"Your Highness," the elder bowed, taking Adina's hand and kissing it. "It is a pleasure to hear your wonderful voice again."

_What is he doing here? He was here for the ball, yes, but I didn't think he lived here, _Adina's mind twirled through all the possibilities. "Thank you so much, Lord- " _Tell me your name. You can't go around being called Jareth's father, can you?_

"Gurnemanz, Your Highness," he replied with a disarming smile. "I apologize for not telling you so at the ball, but your song distracted me."

_That's no excuse, _Adina admonished. _Jareth, you're fine, but your father is rude. _Ignoring the look on Jareth's face, she countered sweetly, "Yes, Mother used to say it had that effect on everyone."

"The Queen, how is she faring?" Lord Gurnemanz asked, eyeing Adina scrupulously. "I heard she was thinking of remarrying."

Shocked silence filled the room, and Jareth glared at his father. _What is he thinking? Surely he hasn't forgotten the Faerie custom of abstinence from relationships until a year has passed! Father, have you lost your senses? _He glanced at Adina. She had gone pale, and her face wavered. _Hang on, Adina. I'm sorry his mind isn't with him._ In an icy tone, Jareth jumped in. "I don't believe you meant that, Father-"

"Don't worry, Jareth, it's okay," Adina interrupted, matching his tone perfectly. "My Lord Gurnemanz, such is not true. And if it were, you would be the last to know! Good night!"

She stormed out of the room, barely concealing her anger. _Mother on high, how did Jareth become as nice as he is with such an awful father?_

"I saw nothing wrong with what I said, before you get started," Gurnemanz stated calmly. "Faerie women have been known to break the rules."

"Oh really? When the period of mourning is involved? When did that happen last?" Jareth retorted. His father could be so stupid at times.

"Not any I can think of recently, but it has happened. And since when did you have such a great affection for Faerie girls anyhow?"

"I don't," Jareth said, trying hard to stay calm.

Gurnemanz snorted. "You could fool me! Ever since you met her, all I've heard is 'Adina this' and 'Adina that'. I'm surprised at you, losing your head over a girl!"

"I haven't lost my head; you have! Ever since she came, you've been acting strange. If you're plotting something against her, she's smart enough to have figure it out by now!" Jareth was all but shouting at his father, any respect for him gone.

"You're right about her being smart- smart enough to have you at her beck and call! I know where you went this afternoon, to go save her!" Gurnemanz shouted, his face a brilliant red. "Kings don't go off on whims like that. The Faerie Realm's Advisors are looking for her, you must send her back!"

"Not unless she wants to go back." _He's weakening. Not a surprise; I always win our arguments. _Jareth smiled triumphantly at this realization. "Adina will stay here with me, and you're going to have to accept that."

Gurnemanz's eyes narrowed, knowing he was beaten. "Damn you boy," he hissed, "it's your own head you're chopping off." In a puff of smoke, he disappeared.

"I don't want to cause trouble, Jareth," a familiar voice rang out. "I can go hide in the labyrinth, if need be."

_Isn't that just like her to be concerned. _"First of all, if you were trouble, I wouldn't've come for you; second, you would have to run it again to get back out." Jareth walked over to the doorway, where Adina was standing. "And the way you are, it would be dull because you'd have some spontaneous spell or method of defeating any challenges I'd give you."

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Adina teased, eyes glittering.

"Not a bit," he responded, smiling. They both started laughing, enjoying each other's sense of humor.

In his castle's private chambers, Gurnemanz fumed. "That ingrate! After all I've done, all this planning all these years, he wants to protect her! It would be right- all these years I've wanted him to get married, and he falls for the Faerie girl I want dead!" He began pacing and thinking. "Well, Jareth, whether you're my son or not, she must go back to the Faerie Realm-and die!"

**Author's Note: Go Jareth! Why does his father want her dead? We shall see………**

**Hope you enjoyed this really long chapter! This week is busy for me- dress rehearsal and such for my ballet school's recital on Saturday. I might post some more, I don't know yet. I will keep writing more though. **

**_Labyrinth _and any recognizable characters are not mine; the rest are. Jareth's father's name comes from a character in Wagner's opera _Parsifal._(I liked the name. Has a distinctive sound to it, don't you think?) "Lift the Wings" is from _Riverdance, _ and Adina's song is "Ebben? ne andro lontana" from the opera _La Wally. _(gee, do you think I like opera? Could be) **

**Thanks to my wonderful reviewers! You guys are great!**


	28. Chapter 26:Misunderstandings

**Chapter 26:Misunderstandings and Secret Notes **

Within days, Adina began to recover from the shock and horror of the 'trial' and Gurnemanz's remarks. She slept, read many of the books in the castle's library, went on walks, and sat in the castle garden. Soon, Adina resumed sitting in whenever Jareth held court. She even began wearing different colored dresses, and found they were not so bad. Life was peaceful, but one day…………

"Da da dum," Hoggle hummed as he walked through the corridors, carrying supplies for the private gardens. Intent on his task, he didn't see Adina coming from the opposite direction, clearly in a hurry. "Da dad u-oops!" They collided abruptly, seeds going everywhere, and both falling down.

"Yipe! Not again!" Hoggle yelped, scrambling around. He looked up, to see a shocked Faerie princess staring at him. "Somethin' wrong, Your Highness?"

"That phrase," she stated slowly, "I've heard someone else say it that way before…."

_Oh dear. Not good. _"Ah, who?" Hoggle stood, nervously.

"A little short fellow, named Master Beggar," Adina replied, slightly embarrassed. "Actually, I don't know his name, that's just what I called him."

"I know him! Talked to him many times, I have." The words flew out of Hoggle's mouth before he could stop them. "Tending to the labyrinth, seen him. I've picked up his sayins, and he mine." _What? That ain't right! _Hoggle admonished himself, completely shocked.

_Adina, you idiot! Embarrassing the poor fellow! _Adina scolded herself. Outwardly, she exclaimed, "Well, I'm so sorry. Things aren't what they seem. Here." With a wave of her hand, all the seeds were back in Hoggle's sack, and Adina was gone.

In her mistress's chambers, Galinda clutched a pillow and cried, as she had done every day since Princess Adina left. The Advisors had been merciless to her since, questioning Galinda constantly, never letting the maid leave the rooms. "Should she come back on her own," one Advisor had stated, "it would seem odd to not have you here. Therefore, you will stay, and wait. And if she does come back, steer her into the hall!"

Upon waking each morning, Galinda would think, _Adina, please, if you can hear me, stay away, far away! _So far it seemed to have worked. But things couldn't stay like that for long. Rumors were the Advisors planned to petition the Grand Council for Adina's return, on the grounds of 'a dangerous Faerie who has murdered, and will probably do so again if provoked.' No response from them, so far. _Thank goodness, _Galinda sighed.

A flash of light blinded Galinda's vision for a moment, and disappeared. "What…that wasn't there before!" On Adina's bed lay a rose colored paper. _I bet I know who it's from, _Galinda thought excitedly, snatching the note up. She began to read:

_Dear Galinda,_

_I hope things are well for you. If not, they will be when you read this. I am staying with Jareth, the Goblin King. We are getting along nicely-even though the goblins are a pain!_

_How is Mother faring? I miss her, and pray for her every day. Please continue to care for her-it means a great deal to me. _

_I have to go now. Read this letter thoroughly- as soon as you put it down, it will disappear, so the Advisors in all their wisdom won't put you in prison! _

_Sincerely,_

_Adina_

Galinda began crying again, this time with relief. "Your Highness, thank you," she whispered to the air, a sense of peace filling her. Hearing a noise outside, Galinda quickly put the letter down. It hadn't flattened on the bed yet before disappearing completely in a shower of sparks. _Isn't that just like Her Highness, always concerned, and then makes me smile, _Galinda thought, knowing all would be well.

**Author's Note: Sorry this is short! I'm going to really try hard and post more of this story. Just please be patient, my life is kind of busy now, since I graduated from high school a few weeks ago, and am in the process of getting things together for college! Oh, and please review. **


	29. Chapter 27:A MysteryUnfolds

**Chapter 27: A Mystery Unfolds**

"Your Highness? Are you ready?" a young female goblin called, standing outside Adina's room. It was almost time for court to begin, and the goblin knew how Her Highness hated being late.

"Yes, Orwege, I'm here." Adina swept into the hall, wearing a delicate pale blue dress. _This is so nice! Now I see why Mother always liked flowy dresses. I feel pretty, oh so pretty- say, that would be a good song._

"Your Highness," Orwege breathed in wonder. "You look like a clear blue day! That is, I mean, very nice," she formally approved, trying to be proper.

"Thanks, but it still needs something," Adina headed back inside to her vanity, and searched for a necklace or bracelet or... "This!" She pulled out an amulet and slipped it around her neck.

"Are you sure?" Orwege asked, wide eyed.

_Why the worry, Orwege? Doesn't it match? _"Yes, this feels right. Hurry, or we won't get there on time!" Off Adina went, Orwege watching her the whole way.

The goblins were beginning their morning shenanigans- belching, slapping each other, and hooting- when Adina entered the throne room. All noise subsided upon her arrival, and every goblin face showed great respect.

"Good mornin', Your Highness!" a group said quietly, which was rare for any goblin.

"Could you sing somethin' for us, since da King ain't here yet?" a stupid but lovable one asked as politely as he could.

"I'd be happy to," Adina responded, delighted that they still remembered her singing. _For them to remember anything besides drinking and being fools, it must be decent. _"My mother, Her Majesty the Queen, sang this to me, when I was a child.

_"Hui!_

_Chirping, the birds take wing,_

_freely darting aloft. _

_They defy the clouds _

_and the burning sun,_

_and on they go_

_along the trails above-"_

"Where did you get that?" Jareth demanded, standing in the entrance. The goblins all bowed, and Adina looked startled.

_What is he talking about? _She followed his gaze, down to her chest...and settled on the amulet. "This?" Adina pointed to it. "I...I...don't remember." Realizing how stupid that sounded, she blushed. "No- I can't  remember."

"Why not?" Jareth walked straight up to her. _Something is wrong...this isn't like her..._

_Yeah, why not? _Adina asked herself. She probed her mind and memory, but nothing came back. "It's blocked," Adina said in a confused tone. "Somehow." She forced a smile. "Don't worry; if it bothers you..."

"No, it's fine." Not really, but why unnerve poor Adina any farther? Jareth smiled back at her, as the goblins rose cautiously. _Just something to puzzle over later. _

Several days passed, and with each day the mystery of Adina's amulet deepened. She still could not remember where it came from, or when she had gotten it. Both Adina and Jareth tried spells of all sorts, but nothing worked. They began to think it was hopeless.

Back in the Faerie Realm, the Queen had slowly recovered. She freely walked around, slept peacefully, and was no longer in a daze. When she would ask for Adina, the usual response was, "You'll see her soon. All in good time." Knowing this was a lie, she usually backed off. Finally she snapped, saying, "I am still Queen here! You cannot keep me from her!" and headed to her daughter's chambers.

Inside, Galinda was busy dusting bookshelves when the Queen entered, followed by her ladies in waiting. "Your Majesty, I didn't-"

"Galinda, where is my daughter?" the Queen asked, glaring.

_Mother help me, what to say?_ Galinda panicked. _Well, there is nothing I can say, except the truth. _And so she did, ignoring the warning looks from the Queen's ladies.

"So, she is with Jareth," the Queen sighed, feeling great pity for Adina. "at least she is safe. I shall send her a message, telling the poor dear she can come home. No more of this guilty without proof nonsense!"

"I wouldn't bet on that if I were you," a deep voice purred from the window. Galinda, the Queen, and her ladies screamed as it moved toward them, and everything went black

**So what does the amulet mean? Why can't Adina remember how she got it? And what does the shadow want with the Queen? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Adina, Galinda, Orwege, and the Queen are all my characters; everything else here(including the song, which is 'Stridono lassu' from _I Pagliacci_) is borrowed. Please review! **


	30. Chapter 28:Mother is Gone

**Chapter 28:Mother is Gone**

Beneath a crystal moon, night had fallen. All denizens of the Underground slept peacefully, but for one.

_She walked the halls of the Faerie castle, silently searching. Her quarry had yet to be found, but it would not be long. "Where are you?" she whispered._

_"Here, dearest," a voice called out, one quite familiar to her._

_Softly she walked in its direction, and came upon a set of doors. They creaked open inch by inch, and revealed a dimly lit chamber. Inside, a thousand candles glowed, and satin curtains hung everywhere. Before her laid a large bed, and on it..._

A long, wordless scream broke the stillness around. Jareth immediately sprang from his bed, jolted awake. _Adina! Gods protect her! _ Pulling on a robe, he ran down the hallway to her room, trailed by goblins. Throwing open the doors, he found her kneeling on the floor, breathing heavily. She was wearing a nightgown, but it, along with her arms, hands, and cheeks were covered in blood.

From the look on her face, Jareth knew immediately, that Adina's mother was dead.

"Is she gonna be okay?" a goblin asked another, as a growing crowd of them waited outside the Goblin King's quarters.

"Hard ta tell," another stated. "His Majesty scooped Her Highness up and took 'er in there, didn't say a word." This sent the goblins into a respectful silence, and they all bowed their heads.

At the back of the group, Hoggle quietly listened to the goblins' comments. _Poor Adina, _he sighed, feeling utterly miserable. _I wish I could help 'er. _His face changed to one of determination. _Maybe I can! Here goes nothin'! _And he hurried off, as fast as possible.

Inside his room, Jareth handed Adina a glass of water. She had washed off most of the blood with his help, but remained silent all the while. _And understandably, considering this dream is true. _The sound of a throat clearing broke into his thoughts, and Jareth looked down.

"I suppose you're wondering," Adina began, her voice cracking, "why I'm not rushing off to see if it's true this time."

"Not really." _Seeing your mother dead, then waking up covered in blood? I don't think there's a need to wonder. _"When will you go back?" Jareth sat next to her.

"Can I go back?" Adina said bitterly. "As soon as I step inside the borders, I'll be arrested, and you know it." Both rolled their eyes, remembering her 'crime'. _Probably they won't even let me attend Mother's funeral. Let's see how the wonderfully wise Advisors are reacting anyway. _Adina reached out with her mind, and saw……………

"Couldn't you hear the screams?" an Advisor was bellowing at one of the guards in the castle. "Her Majesty is gone now, and if we can't find her, you will be held responsible!"

"She's not dead yet," Adina softly murmured.

"What?" Jareth snapped up, feeling joy and hope flicker inside her.

"She's not dead yet!" Adina's relief was replaced by grave concern. "The question is, where is Mother?"

"My subjects- my people- will not stand for this," the Queen said into the darkness. Though inside she was frightened, the Queen was determined not to let it show. "If I am not released, there will probably be war!"

"I doubt that seriously, Your Majesty," the Queen's captor chuckled, slowly turning around. "Or should I say, Imogene darling?"

"Gurnemanz," the Queen moaned, sinking to the floor. "Why are you doing this? What do you want with me?"

"You remember me? I'm touched," he replied, favoring the Queen with a sickly smile. "Now, sweet one, to ensure your safety, all you have to do is remain calm and quiet, and I swear to the Mother not a hair on your lovely head shall be harmed."

Feeling annoyed, the Queen boldly asked, "Not yet. Where are my ladies, and why have you brought me here?"

"Ah, Imogene, still curious as ever," Gurnemanz stroked her hair gently, then abruptly yanked her up by it. She shrieked in pain, tears coming to her eyes. "Now listen to me, and listen good. I turned your ladies loose; where they are now, I do not care. And you are here for one thing: your daughter."

"She'll never come here! She doesn't know where I am!" the Queen spat out.

"On the contrary, if she has my little present, she won't have a choice but to come here," Gurnemanz sneered, peering out his castle's window. "And should that not work, my wonderful son will bring her here."

"Jareth would never betray Adina! Not if he knew she'd come to harm!" the Queen stood defiantly and glared at him.

"Dearest Imogene," Gurnemanz gripped her shoulders tightly, "that's what makes it so wonderful. He doesn't know. I'm his father, the one person he trusts the most. Why ever would I want to hurt Adina, his dearest friend?" He suddenly squeezed her shoulders so hard she fell to the ground, whimpering. "Because she must die, for the good of the Underground, that's why!"

**Author's Note: Boy, have things picked up! Will Adina find her mother? Will Jareth help? (Of course they will! That just sounded dramatic) **

**I've finally seen _Inside the Labyrinth_! Yay! It's quite good-I did love the part where they kept dropping the crystals. **

**Three things for you to please do: 1) If you like _Kingdom of Heaven_, go read "On Your Knees:The Sisterhood of MPKB"(whenever will put it up) by Ms. Numbers, who happens to be my wonderful older sister(and I am beta reading it for her). It's quite good so far. 2) Find a copy of the soundtrack for _Spamalot_. I've been listening to it while I typed up this chapter, and it's a riot! 3) Oh, and please review this chapter. Thank you! **


	31. Chapter 29:To Save the Queen

**Chapter 29: To Save the Queen**

Dawn was breaking over the Underground as Hoggle reached the borders of the Fae Realm, meaning his destination was near. He'd been running and walking all night, set on reaching the castle. Luckily, no one had stopped him, and he'd had time to think things through. _I know exactly who did this- Lord Gurnemanz. He's had somethin' against Adina this whole time, and somebody's gotta stop him! _Hoggle halted, to catch his breath. _Even if that somebody's only me._

"Well! What have we got here?" a loud, rough voice barked, grabbing Hoggle by the shoulders. "A dwarf!"

"Hey, watch it!" Hoggle protested. "I come from Lord Gurnemanz's son, King Jareth of the Goblins! So quit pushin' !"

"I have seen him before," one of the guards spoke up. "When we escorted my lord to that-"

"Yeah, yeah, I do too!" the first guard snapped. "Take him inside to Lord Gurnemanz. He'll know what to do."

In the throne room, Adina stood in the center, eyes closed. _Mother of all, help me please. _

She softly began to chant, her voice escalating with it: "Mehoum bo/Mehoum bide/ Search o now/Far and wide/For my mother/Must be spied/Mehoum bo/Mehoum bast/ Find my mother/Find her fast!"

A great wind arose, bringing with it a little funnel cloud. Into the room it came, settling before Adina. The cloud opened, and revealed a sight only she could see.

Jareth watched Adina intently, not even swatting down the frightened goblins on his shoulders. It was apparent she had grown even stronger magically since he'd last seen her powers. Summoning up the weather in miniature form was no easy task. _But then, Faerie girls aren't supposed to throw fireballs, move statues, or brave the labyrinth either. Should I really be surprised she can do this? _

Just then, Adina strode over to the window. "And, where are you going?" Jareth already knew the answer, but asking the question would emphasize the seriousness of the whole matter to the goblins.

Wind howling around her, Adina gazed at the lot of goblins, and her friend-her best friend. "To find my mother. I'll be back soon." Off she flew in her hawk form, ready to face the unknown.

"Faster, faster! We must move quickly!" Galinda urged her fellow ladies-in-waiting. They were all flying as quickly as possible, to warn the Faerie Realm.

"Galinda! Do you know which way we're headed?" one of them asked.

"Yes, we might be going to the Elves, south of the Underground!" another argued. "What shall we do?" Returning to the castle was definitely not an option.

"Look!" yet a third Lady pointed up. "Ravenfeathers! A whole flock of them!"

"Let's follow, since they always pass through home." All the Ladies agreed but Galinda.

"All of you go on. I will stay here," she stated firmly.

"But why?"

"Because...that's how it's done." She wasn't sure why, but a voice inside told her to stay.

"Well then, that's how you must do it. We can't stop you." The Ladies moved in to hug Galinda. "Farewell. May the blessing of the Mother be with you."

That said, Galinda settled down in the grass and watched them leave, and waited for...her destiny.

**What's Galinda's destiny? How will Hoggle stop Gurnemanz? Please review!**


	32. Chapter 30:The Beginning of Farewell

**Chapter 30:The Beginning of Farewell**

The sky filled with dust and turned gray as Adina flew across it. _The cloud said she is being kept in a castle among a duststorm, but where? How do I even know I'm going the right way? _Though she was in hawk form, Adina could see her amulet- how did it get there, anyway? Had she slipped it on, and forgotten?- glowing, almost pulling her forward. _Odd. I'm flying wearing it, and it's like a weight. Hey, maybe that will help solve the mystery. _

A gust of wind nearly forced her down, but Adina refused to give up. _Not with Mother's life at stake. _

"My lord!" the captain of the guard shouted. "My lord, your attention please!"

Gurnemanz turned away from his balcony, to stare at him. "And what is it now?"

"My lord, there is a dwarf here, works for your son," the guard stepped aside to reveal Hoggle. "Must be important!"

"Thank you, you are dismissed." Once they were alone, Gurnemanz eyed Hoggle with a smile. "What brings you here, Hedge Pedge?"

"Ya know damn well why!" Hoggle yelled, no fear in his voice. "To end your days of harassin' Adina! I know ya hurt her mother, the Queen! Leave her alone, or-"

"You'll what? Kick me?" Gurnemanz's smile turned into a nasty sneer. "Really, there's nothing you can or will do, no matter what your size is. Guard!" They marched back in.

"Take this dwarf, and lock him up. We can't have him alerting our guest, can we?"

As Hoggle was dragged away, he yelled, "Adina won't let you get away with this! Neither will Jareth!" _Choke on that, you hateful old man!_

In his throne room, Jareth was sitting, contemplating the recent events. Why anyone would want to kidnap Queen Imogene, and not expect retribution from Adina and the Faerie Realm was beyond his guessing. _I wish Adina had let me go along. She's not thinking clearly enough...and besides the fact her mother is gone, there's something else wrong here. _That thought ran through his mind, until Jareth finally changed into his owl form, and flew off in search of Adina.

The farther she flew, the brighter the amulet glowed, Adina noticed. _And heavier!_ She had gone many miles, and was very tired. _I need to land, for just a second or two. _ Heading for a small glen below, halfway down Adina recognized a familiar face. "Galinda!"

"Your Highness!" Galinda sobbed as soon as Adina touched the ground. Now that she was here, it was suddenly easy to cry. Then she noticed the weariness on the Princess's face, and her dust covered black dress. "This way. There's fruit and water here."

"Just water," Adina conceded. "What happened? How did you get here? And where is Mother?" It was all she could do not to keep from screaming.

Calmly and slowly, Galinda told her of the abduction. "Then we were taken to a large castle. But, the shadow form said we weren't needed any longer. If we were wise, we would return home, as fast as possible, lest the Queen be killed!" She choked back a sob. "I waited. I knew you would come."

"Galinda," Adina began, taking in all the information, "how far is it from here to the castle?"

"Not much longer, for you, Your Highness," Galinda firmly stated. "But for one with Faerie wings, a while."

"In this case, I guess being different is an advantage," Adina dryly replied. _I might as well make jokes, they keep me from crying. _"Galinda, thank you, for everything. Wait. He'll kill her if you tell anyone?"

"Oh no, Highness, you don't suppose-" Galinda turned pale, hands on her cheeks.

Adina reached out with her mind and concentrated carefully. "No, I can still feel her life, so we're currently safe. But you should go into hiding, in case." _Where? I know! But...I've never tried it before. Well, there's a first time for everything. _She sighed, knowing she would probably never see Galinda again as a result. "I know where to hide you...but you might be different when you arrive there."

"Send me to the Black Pits! The Elves! Anywhere, if it will save Her Majesty!" Galinda agreed, ready to go anywhere.

_Oh, Galinda, such loyalty,_ Adina felt a rush of emotion come over her. _Would that all Faeries had your courage. _"Very well, close your eyes. But first." Adina grasped the Faerie maid in a long hug. _She's one of the few who's tolerated me my whole life, and not been afraid. _"And now..." She closed her eyes, visualizing Galinda's new home, and whispered, "Go there, with the blessing of the Mother always upon you!"

The trees rustled, dust flew, and when Adina opened her eyes, Galinda was gone.

The Underground trembled at that moment, which Jareth could feel up in the sky. _Adina, what have you done now? _he guessed, soaring a bit. Knowing what she could do, he flew a little faster. He had to reach her, and soon.

**So now Galinda's gone, what will happen next? _Labyrinth _isn't mine, nor are any of the characters you recognize from the film. But if they were... ; ) **

**Please review!**


	33. Chapter 31:Adina Arrives

**Chapter 31:Adina Arrives**

Deep in the dungeons of Gurnemanz's castle, Hoggle plotted, not his escape, but how to help the Queen. _She's gotta be here. I know she's somewhere around The High and Mighty Pain in the Tush, so..._ Frustrated, he leaned forward on the chains holding his arms, and was startled when they came loose. _Hey! How'd that happen? _Hoggle stood up, and glanced around. _Knowin' these old castles, there's gotta be a secret passage in here. Let's see. _

"My lord, there is no sign of the lady yet," the captain of the guard informed Gurnemanz.

"Don't worry. She will come, especially after what I just did," the older Fae grinned triumphantly. "Nothing like reliving the past. Now go, continue watching for her. " _Hurry up and get here, Adina. There's a surprise here, waiting for you. _

All was quiet, as Adina approached the castle. She had decided to arrive on foot, and made herself invisible. _That doesn't mean, _Adina mused, _they can't sense me. But it'll hinder them for a bit. _She reached out to feel her mother's presence, and nearly fell over. _Pain! And lots of it! I need to hurry! _Seeing a vine trailing up the castle's wall, Adina silently began to climb.

So far no one had noticed her, when she reached an open window. Climbing inside, Adina breathed out, calming herself. "Dictus!" And now she was visible again. _Time to get moving. _ She was in a hallway, with several doors on each side. At the end of the hall, one was open. _Might as well take the chance, _Adina reasoned. She pushed open the door...

To find herself on a ledge, staring out into an open space filled with nothing but rocks, floating in the air. _What the? Okay..._

"Ah, Princess, you've arrived at last," an all too familiar voice rang out. "You do want to see your mother again, I assume? All you have to do is cross from one side of the room to the other. Good luck."

_Gurnemanz, you bastard! Wait, this should be simple. Here goes! _Adina stepped onto the nearest rock, only to have it plunge down. _Gods! He's cheating! Did I expect any less?_

Mocking laughter ensued. "Did I mention some will remain in place, and some won't? Now, all you have to do is figure out which is which."

_Jareth's dad or not, I'm going to kill you, _Adina groaned as she hopped from rock to rock, narrowing the amount quickly. Soon, she was halfway there, and grinned victoriously. _Hah! I'm almost over! _ Adina looked up into the air, stepped forward, and plunged to the ground below. _A spell, quick me! _ But none came. _This is it..._

**In the words of Hoggle, oh dear, not good! What's going to happen to our heroine now? Please review!**


	34. Chapter 32:The Confrontation

**Chapter 32: The Confrontation**

When Adina landed, however, it was on her feet. The room she was in was a throne-like area, with two doors leading off at each side. In the middle of it sat Gurnemanz, eyeing her every move. Adina stood in front of him.

"Adina, dear, how are you?" Gurnemanz leaned forward. "Awfully glad you had a better landing than you thought you would, I assume."

"Cut the pleasantries, Gurnemanz," Adina snapped coldly. "Where's my mother?"

"She's safe here. For the time being," he replied, fairly beaming. "Whether she remains so depends on you." Gurnemanz stood, and began pacing. He stopped directly in front of her. "Do you realize what a troublesome nuisance you are?" he snapped. "I had it all planned out so well when you were young- you'd learn enough magic, then when I killed your precious professor, I was going to bring you here, finish teaching you, and take over the Faerie Realm with you as a puppet ruler. However, you cast that spell, which took me weeks to recover from. By that time, you were already in the labyrinth, and had become friends with my son."

"There's one problem with your plan," Adina interrupted. "Didn't you think my parents would've noticed my absence?"

"Oh yes," Gurnemanz shot back. "But they wouldn't have cared. They didn't- don't- love you. No one loves you, or cares about you."

"Wrong," Adina sneered. "Your son does."

"Really? Do you think if it came to this, that he would choose you over me, his father? I don't." He resumed his pacing. "Anyhow, it was too late to kidnap you, so the only other option was you out of the way somehow. You, and-"

"Father," a look of horror spread across Adina's face. "You killed him!"

"Yes, well, he had to go," Gurnemanz sounded slightly apologetic. "Besides being in the way, he had wronged me years ago, by being engaged to the only woman I really wanted. Your mother."

_Oh gods, _Adina felt sick.

"As for you, had those fools managed to capture you, trial and the penalty would've kept you out. Since you escaped, one option is left: death." An eerie smile came over Gurnemanz. "Now two things will be accomplished: my revenge over Sylvan completed, and I shall take the Faerie throne."

_He's mad, completely,_ Adina told herself. _Just keep him talking, until something can be done. _"Wait," she said. "Answer these questions: how long do you think it will take for Jareth to figure everything out?"

Gurnemanz just laughed. "Even if he had proof, he'd never put me for judgment before the Grand Council. I'm his father, remember?"

_Drat! He's right. Jareth's such a loyalist. _"Okay, you don't think the Advisors will really accept you as king? Since you're not even a Faerie?"

"Oh Adina, how little you know," Gurnemanz smirked. "Didn't they ever teach you that there are two main kinds of Faery? One is the Seelie, which your mother and father are. The other is the Unseelie- Jareth and myself."

"No," Adina whispered. It was all clear to her now. "I know something- you hate us Seelie, would kill us if possible!"

"Correct. Jareth being my son, I hoped he would realize that, and do his duty as an Unseelie. But then he had to fall in love with you. Curse him!" Gurnemanz shook his head. "Enough talk! Prepare to die, little Fae!" He raised up his hands.

Just then, a low moan was heard from one of the adjoining rooms.

_Mother! _Adina waved her hands, and Gurnemanz slammed against the wall. Wasting no time, she flung open the door, and ran inside.

"Father," Jareth entered, and saw Gurnemanz slowly sitting up. "What happened? Where's Adina?"

"Forget her!" Gurnemanz snapped. "Help me! She's gone mad! I told her I had found her mother wandering in the fields, brought her here to care for her, and the little brat doesn't even say thank you, just throws me!"

_Something's wrong. Adina doesn't like him, but she won't hurt anyone unless provoked._ Jareth's mind was in a whirl. _Who to believe, him or her?_

**Author's Note: Well, I am back from a nice visit to my aunt's. Quite fun- antiquing and all! Anyhow, too bad Jareth couldn't have arrived sooner! That would've been helpful for Adina! Please review!**


	35. Chapter 33:Requiescat in Pace

**Chapter 33: Requiescat in Pace**

Adina entered the dimly lit room cautiously. Inside was a bed, and on it lay her mother. Her garments were tattered, her hair a knotted mess, and she was all bloody- just like in Adina's dream! Beside her knelt- "Hogwart!"

"It's Hoggle, yer Highness," he greeted her solemnly. "Her Majesty, I've been takin' care of her." He turned away, to give mother and daughter some measure of privacy.

Adina nodded a thank-you, and slowly took her mother's hand. "Mother, it's me," she gently said.

The Queen's eyes flickered open. "Adina, sweet," she wheezed, trying to smile. This action sent her into a coughing fit. "Dear heart, why did you come?"

"To save you," Adina helped her mother into a sitting position. "You're okay now."

The Queen considered that, and smiled. "Oh, Adina, you're going to be such a fine Queen. I know you will make your father and me so proud, so very proud."

"Mother, don't talk like that." Adina was fighting the growing panic inside of her. "You're going to be fine, once I take you back home, and heal you." _Please no, I'm not ready! _

"Your being here, it's already made me feel better." The Queen slightly shifted. Then she saw a dark shadow outside the room, and began to tremble. "No," she whispered in terror. "Keep him away, now! I forgive him, I do, but keep him far away!"

"I will, Mother, I promise!" Adina cried, sending peaceful thoughts and feelings to the Queen, trying to calm her down. "Just stay here with me! I need you!"

The Queen seemed not to hear her daughter, she was trembling so. She gazed up, saw Adina, and died. _Adina, I love you. Know that……………………………………_

From where he stood, Hoggle slowly turned, tears rolling down his cheeks. _Of all the things ta happen, why to her? _"Your Highness, I'm so sorry."

Adina stared at her mother's body, not wanting to believe she was truly gone. _She shouldn't have died, especially like this- in torment, mentally and physically. It's not fair! _

She slowly raised her head, feeling a deep rage emerge, one that had been growing for quite some time. Adina turned, eyes aflame, to leave the room.

"Your Highness! Adina!" Hoggle called out. He'd seen her face, and didn't like it one bit. "Where are you goin'?" She continued slowly walking; either she was ignoring him or didn't hear his call. _Uh oh. Most definitely not good. _

**Author's Note: Poor Adina! She can't win, can she? Please review! **


	36. Chapter 34:Revelations

**Chapter 34: Revelations**

**Author's Note: All the violence in this chapter is credited to Nugrey. Hope this lives up to your anticipations, Nugrey!**

Jareth and Gurnemanz were talking calmly when Adina entered the throne room. She glanced around, then caught sight of the elder Fae. Her eyes narrowed to slits, and the memory of what he had done to her mother returned. _Something he won't get away with, either._

"My mother is dead, old man," Adina hissed, raising her arms, "and _you_ are responsible!"

Gurnemanz suddenly flew up into the air, completely caught off-guard. He gasped, spinning around, and then yelled as he was repeatedly slammed up and down into the ceiling. _Merciful gods, make it stop! _

_I heard that, old man. And I'm just getting started. _Ignoring Jareth's cries of protest, Adina clenched her right hand into a fist and punched it into her left hand. This drew a loud cry from Gurnemanz, and the sound of breaking bones could be heard. _Oooh! I do believe I broke all the little tiny bones in his slimy hands! Aww, poor baby! Well, now he can't put his hands on any other unsuspecting Faerie. And what's next?I know! _

She brought him back down from the ceiling with a nod of her head. As soon as he came down, Gurnemanz was greeted with a set of fireballs, courtesy of Adina's hands. Luckily for him, he was not hurt too badly. In fact, excluding his soot covered body and lack of hair, he was fine. _Gee, now he won't appear so attractive, for any unsuspecting Faerie to think he's cute. Oh darn! _She laughed triumphantly, reveling in his pain.

_Wait! He's awfully smart...as a whip! _

Gurnemanz's eyes went wide as Adina pulled a black whip out of thin air. "No more! Please, I'm begging!" he wailed, as she moved in. His pleas fell on deaf ears, as Adina sent him up into the air once more, and unmercifully began whipping him.

"Sing tra la la la la la la la la/ Oh gee, this whip's awfully fine/And tra la la la la la la la la/I'm really glad it's mine!" Adina sang out, the whip going in time to her melody. _If you're bent over and stooped for a bit, you can't hurt anyone else for a while! And what should I do next? _

_She's gone ballistic! Completely mad! _Jareth couldn't believe the horror that was before him. "Adina! Stop it!" he shouted, pushing her arms down. Before she could respond, Jareth grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. "You can't kill him!"

"Let me go, Jareth, or you'll join him!" Adina growled, lunging toward Gurnemanz, who had abruptly landed on the ground, bruised, battered, and bloody. _Suddenly Jareth has to go all namby-pamby? Tough!_

"Fine then. But he's my father, and however he has wronged your family, this is not how he should be punished, Jareth argued, yanking Adina back. "Your mother would say the same." _Come on, Adina, calm down. Think._

Slowly Adina stopped fighting. Her eyes cleared, and she calmed. "You are right, that's not the way," Adina said. She straightened, pointed a finger at Gurnemanz, and formally said, "Lord Gurnemanz, I accuse you of the murders of King Sylvan and Professor Boyce, the kidnapping of Queen Imogene, and raping and abusing her."

"All that?" Jareth asked, not wanting to think his father could've stooped to such. _The look Adina has, she's calm enough to not be lying. _"Why, Father?"

Gurnemanz's face became an angry red. "You're believing her over me, especially after what she just put me through?" he spat out.

"When it's as serious as those accusations are..." Jareth started.

"You're a fool, Jareth," Gurnemanz fumed. Then a smirk passed over him, and he turned to Adina. "There is one more crime I committed, dearest darling Princess."

"What?" Adina and Jareth said in unison.

Gurnemanz beamed at having their full attention. "I might as well tell you both. And that is, fathering you, Adina."

**Wow! Two things you might've thought you'd never see, or hear: Adina being downright nasty and kicking butt, and the fact Gurnemanz might be her father...or just plain lying. And the song she sings, is set to the tune of the opening lines of "A Sunny Side to Every Situation" from _42nd St. _ Please review!**


	37. Chapter 35:Back to the Past

**Chapter 35:Back to the Past**

Jareth's and Adina's faces couldn't have been more different: his was stunned realization, hers absolute horror.

"No, no! My father is the Faerie King! He loved me and raised me! You're just lying!" Adina finally responded, feeling dizzy. _I……..I………no………….._

"I'm afraid not, dearest Adina," Gurnemanz grinned triumphantly. "Currently, I want you dead, especially now that your accusations will put me on trial, but I couldn't lie about something of such a serious magnitude."

Jareth had recovered from silent shock, and stared at his father. "My sister," he muttered. "You once told me, when I was younger, that I had another sister. And here she is……."

"No!" Adina shrieked. "My mother wouldn't have, never-"

"Well, she must have, daughter dear," Gurnemanz said crudely, "or you wouldn't be here." _Try that on, my girl. _

"Father!" Jareth glared sharply at him. This was not the time for filthy humor. He glanced at his sister-half sister. She was a pale white, stood stock still, and was mumbling to herself. _It wouldn't be surprising if she has a nervous breakdown. I can't blame her. _"Adina, listen to me-"

Adina jerked up, eyes filled with tears. "No! You knew this whole time, and couldn't tell me?" Finally the tears spilled over and down her cheeks. "I thought you were my friend."

Oh, that hurt. _Probably her intention, _Jareth thought, stung nevertheless. "I am, I just wasn't sure-"

"Sure? We look alike! I don't know why I didn't see it sooner!" Adina sighed, on the verge of collapse. _No, not here. I don't trust either one of them. _"I just- just need to think all of this through. Don't you even think of following me." She ran over to the opposite door, opened it, and left.

The silence was broken as Gurnemanz said, "It's the truth. I don't know why she can't accept it."

_Insensitive old idiot, hasn't he got any compassion for anyone besides himself? _Jareth gave his father a cold look. "Well, let's see," he began sarcastically, "you've only killed or caused the deaths of almost everyone she's ever cared about. And then she's supposed to forget all that and hug you? You're lucky she didn't kill you when she had the chance." _Any common sense I have, I definitely got from Mother. _

"Thank you for your support, Jareth. Did it ever occur to you that this hasn't been any easier for me?" Gurnemanz retorted as he sat down. "To have realized, all those years ago, that Imogene and I had a daughter together?"

"How did that happen anyway?" Jareth asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. _Besides the obvious………………………………_

"At least you want to listen," Gurnemanz acknowledged soberly. "Listen well."

"A long time ago, I was a baby, somewhat spoiled. I gave my nurse such fits that one day, she proclaimed, 'I wish the goblins would take you away, right now!' And they did."

"So you're part human," Jareth took all this in. _Maybe that's why he doesn't think. _

"As are you, and Adina. Anyhow, no one came for me, even though there was no labyrinth at the time. Back then, to save a child, three difficult riddles had to be answered. But I digress. Instead of turning me into a goblin, the Goblin Queen took a liking to me as I was, and decided to raise me as her son and heir. And she was of the Unseelie, and made me partially Unseelie. When she grew old, I became the Goblin King, and ruled hard."

"Father, this is all quite interesting," Jareth interrupted politely. "But what has it got to do with Adina?"

Instead of looking annoyed, Gurnemanz was pleased his son had noticed. "This. Shortly after my coronation, a meeting of the Grand Council was held. I attended, as I was now king, and met the rulers of the Underground. There, with the Seelie Faeries, was the lovliest being I had ever laid my eyes upon. I know I must have looked a fool, staring at her so, but it couldn't be helped. One day, Jareth, you will understand."

_I hope not, _Jareth silently gagged. _If that's how you act. _

"After the meeting was over, I enquired about my Seelie beauty. She was the Princess Imogene, the Heir to the Throne, and……….engaged to marry Sylvan, a lord from the lower region. Oh, for days after I was in agony! I couldn't sleep, or eat; I felt like weeping all the time. As a king, there was nothing I could do- carrying her off, with me having Unseelie blood , would be considered an act of war. So, out of respect for my Imogene, I let them be. No hatred toward her- she only married him for alliances, had no say in it- so it was his fault, and still is!"

"Whatever you say, Father," Jareth simply replied. _He's got less sense than I thought. _

"Eventually I realized my anger must subside, for the good of my kingdom. That's when I met your mother, an Unseelie princess, and married her. Then we had you, then your brother, and sister. We were happy, but I never forgot how I hated Sylvan. At meetings and various functions, I'd see them, and burn with rage."

"This continued for some time, until finally I could bear it no longer. One night, when the king was away, I disguised myself, and went to the castle. I was led before the Queen, and she was attracted to me. Things happened, and we spent the night together." Gurnemanz let out a long sigh. "It's moments like that that make life worth living. Don't look at me so, Jareth; when you find someone to love, and you hold her for the first time, you'll know. But, I'd had my one night, and it would do.

Months later, the news came of the King and Queen having a little Princess. I was more furious than ever- yet one more thing that winged fool had with her that I never would. And then I saw the child- there couldn't possibly be a way it was his! She barely looked like him, or her mother. So I showed up in my eagle form one time, and gave-"

"The amulet to Adina," Jareth finished grimly. "Grandmother's amulet. You knew you could never truly be a part of her life, hence she gets a family treasure to compensate."

"Does that satisfy your curiosity?" Gurnemanz quipped, looking out the window.

"Oh yes, and then some!" Jareth snapped. "It's shown me what a truly heartless, self-centered, egotistical person you are! I don't see how you can live with yourself every day, knowing what damage you've caused." _This is more disgusting than the Bog, vomiting goblins, and MacGoogle combined! _He headed for the window and pushed past Gurnemanz. "If you ever go near Adina again, or make contact with her, I will put you straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench before you can blink!"

Gurnemanz watched his son fly away, utterly speechless by Jareth's outburst. _He meant it! Every single word! He truly loves her…………..so what am I going to do now? I've lost him, and any chance at knowing my daughter. What a fool I am! _He began to weep, which escalated into a long wail.

**Author's Note: Yay, I finally got to see _Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith _** **today! And I liked every bit of it(except for some weak points) too. **

**To the two new readers: Welcome! _Wicked_ is one of my favorite musicals; which is why there are some quotes here and there(I couldn't resist.). "Defying Gravity" is my favorite song from the show, so that's my own little tribute.**

**Nugrey: I'm sorry I scared you! It was not my intention. Putting _Lord of the Rings _to shame- wow you're nice! Why do you say I'm not angry with you? I never was, in any shape or form. I was just trying to live up to your expectations. **

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews, everybody! I hope you liked this chapter! **


	38. Chapter 36:A Visit from the Mother

**Chapter 36:A Visit from the Mother**

Her tears blinding her, Adina flew to the Faerie Realm. She headed for a favorite spot of hers: a lush green clearing, deep in the Royal forest. Though it was small, Adina found it useful for when she wanted to be alone and think, such as now. She landed, changed her form, and fell to her knees, crying all the harder. _Mother, why did you do it? I would've never been born! I feel so filthy. Maybe I should stand trial, let the Council pick a ruler. A little half breeded bastard as I am should not rule! _

All was quiet, save for her sobbing and a gentle breeze. Then a female voice broke the silence: "Adina."

Adina glanced around, and gasped. There before her stood a beautiful woman. She was dressed in white, with silky blond hair, and had a golden glow about her. "The Mother," Adina whispered, lowering her head.

"Adina, please rise. Sit here with me." The Mother gestured to a stone bench, and Adina complied. "Now, I know you feel terrible, and all alone."

"Oh yes, my Lady!" Adina felt like crying all over again. "I don't deserve to be Queen. I can't do it, and I'm not pure Seelie!"

"Your biological father and half-brother are not full Unseelie. Does that mean they shouldn't rule?" Adina shook her head. "They, along with you, are part human. This is why you're so strong- one third Seelie, one third Unseelie, and one third human. All three combine to make you the most magical being in the Underground." The Mother took Adina's hands in hers. "And you are ready, you just don't realize it yet."

Adina gazed into her eyes, still troubled. "But the Advisors still think I am guilty. I know I'm whining, but they will never accept me as Queen!"

The Mother smiled gently. "Adina, do not worry so! Your hardest days are behind you, and peace shall come. You must forgive your mother, and your real father. She and her husband have forgiven him."

"I don't want him near me!" Adina cried out. "He hates me!"

"He is confused, and blinded by his emotions. Those shall disappear, now that he knows of Jareth's views." The Mother suddenly grew stern. "But, for his crimes, he shall be haunted by guilt the rest of his life. And, I shall never smile on him again. The rest, the Council shall handle." She smiled again. "Jareth. You must also forgive him. He was not sure, and did not want to embarrass you. He never would- he loves you too much."

"Loves me?" Adina asked. _That would explain a lot. _

"Not in the way you are thinking. That love is meant for someone else- who will break his heart. Forgive him- he will need you more than ever, when she comes." The Mother stood. "Adina, I must go. Embrace me." They hugged each other, and then she pulled back. "Rejoice in having a brother, albeit a half one. Forgive your family- they love you, and will not rest until you are at peace. Do not worry about being Queen- all shall be clear to you."

Adina lowered her head respectfully. "Bless you, Mother. May the sun shine on you always." She looked up, saw only the trees rustling, and heard, "Fear not, Adina; I will always be with you."

Adina merely sighed, and prepared to leave. _For the first time in a while, I feel at peace. _

Off she flew, ready to face the challenges ahead.

**Author's Note: I am sorry I didn't get to post this sooner! Not getting computer access doesn't help. I just finished writing this story a few days ago, so this is pretty much catch up time. There is a sequel to this one coming- I started work on it today. That one should lead straight into the movie, plus deal with some more of the 'how did that happen/get there' type scenario. If you want me to post it here, let me know. Oh, and please review this chapter! It doesn't matter how many I get, each one is very important to me! **


	39. Chapter 37:Notes

**Chapter 37: Notes**

Jareth stood on his castle's balcony, looking into the night sky. _I have a sister. I have a sister! But does she forgive me, I wonder?_

A familiar throat clearing attracted his attention. Hoggle stood in the entrance, shuffling his feet. "What is it, Higgle?"

"Ah, Your Majesty," Hoggle cautiously stepped forward. "I, uh, I've, that is to say-"

"Higspit, out with it! Whatever you're going to say, say it!" _Sometimes I wish he wasn't scared of me. Couldn't he be brave for once, and speak out?_

"Well, okay. I got this from Her Highness, Princess- I mean, Queen Adina." Hoggle held out a little drawstring bag. Dangling from the opening were- "Jewels! Ain't they something?" Hoggle beamed at his newfound wealth. "She also sent me these notes. Here's mine." He handed Jareth a small sheet. It read:

_Dear Hoggle, _

_Please accept these jewels in gratitude for taking care of my mother. It meant a great deal to me. I hope to see you soon. Please say hello to Master Beggar for me, and help him whenever you can._

_Your friend,_

_Adina_

"Oh, here," Hoggle handed him an envelope, once Jareth had finished reading. "This is for you." Then he bowed, and left.

Jareth held the envelope, thinking, _This has to mean she accepted the truth. _He slowly opened it, and pulled out a pale blue paper. _And it says..._

_Dear Jareth,_

_Please forgive my rudeness earlier today. I was shocked, hurt, and angry. It is going to take time to think things through, but I can- I will! - do it. I still want to be your friend- you are still mine. Be at peace, and may the Mother always bless you._

_Love,_

_Adina_

**Author's Note: This was a short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! (and _Labyrinth_ and any characters from it are still not mine. Drat.)**


	40. Chapter 38:One Final Tribute

**Chapter 38: One Final Tribute**

A few days later, the funeral of Queen Imogene was held in the Faerie Realm. All the kingdom attended, lining the streets for the traditional procession from her castle to the final resting place in the Chapel of the Mother. Every Faerie wore black, but Adina.

She had chosen a beautiful long sleeved rose colored gown, with a matching headpiece.

At first the Advisors had protested, but Adina admonished them, saying, "It's her favorite color. I know she would want me to wear it."

Staring out the window of the castle, Adina felt sad at all that had happened. _Oh, Mother, I miss you so! I hope you can see me – I 'don't always wear black' , see? I forgive you, and feel no animosity about what happened. _It was amazing, how that feeling had vanished. Adina gave credit to The Mother.

Faeries flew about, carrying flowers. They held them before the coffin, behind it, and scattered the blooms on the path the cortege would take. As the procession headed through the streets, Faeries wept, and bowed, one last tribute to the late, and still beloved, Queen.

Behind the coffin walked Adina, followed by the Advisors and the Queen's maid. They flew slowly, out of respect, and as not to bypass Adina. To do so would be a serious breach of protocol.

Halfway down the funeral route was the Royal Gallery, where ambassadors and rulers from all over the Underground waited. The Grand Council had also come, to acknowledge Adina as the new Faerie Queen in a few days. The procession stopped in front of the Gallery, and all seated inside it joined behind the coffin. Some placed flowers on top of the casket.

_And they all mean it. Everyone loved Mother, _Adina mused, not really noticing the parade of flower plopping. She heard a sigh, and abruptly stared at coffin. There, towards the middle, lay a perfect bouquet of peach colored roses.

_Jareth! _Adina surmised, looking around for him. He was nowhere to be seen, in the crowd of nobles or citizens. Slowly, she looked upward, and saw a simple white barn owl flying away. _Thank you, Jareth. I love you, brother. _

**Author's Note: Yet another short chapter-the next one, and final one, will be longer, I promise! Hope you liked this chapter- please review!**


	41. Chapter 39:The Coronation

**Chapter 39:The Coronation**

On the day of Adina's coronation, the skies were clear and blue. Flowers bloomed everywhere, and once again happy people lined the streets in anticipation. Inside the castle, there was a cheerful buzz of excitement. Beautifully dressed Faeries and various guests headed to the vast chambers where the coronation was to take place.

In Adina's rooms, the maids fussed and fluttered around her as she finished dressing.

"Your Highness," one maid gushed, "you look wonderful!"

Adina was wearing a lovely silvery white sheath dress. Over it was a large white feathery cape, with silk gloves. On her head, Adina wore a simple silver tiara, to be replaced during the ceremony by the Realm's coronation crown.

_I feel like a paperweight, _Adina quipped, to stifle her feelings of nervousness. _And with this cape, I probably look like Jareth. I wonder if he will come. _She hadn't seen or heard from him since the funeral. _I wish he would come, right now._

There was a sharp knock at her door. One of the maids answered it, and returned in a fluttered state. "Your Highness!" she all but squealed, barely able to contain her glee. "Your Highness, you have a visitor- King Jareth of the Goblins! He said he had to speak to you, right now!"

_Boy, that worked! I hope I didn't pull him away from anything important, _Adina grinned in spite of herself. _Wait, do queens smile? I doubt it. _ Formally, she raised a hand. "Show him in, then leave us. I think it is almost time to line up for the procession to the Great Hall." _Can queens use apostrophe s, I wonder? Maybe Jareth knows. _

He entered, and Adina felt nervous all over again. _What does he want? It has to be important for him to come all this way._

"Adina," Jareth began, "you left this, at the…………….castle." He held out the amulet, uncertainly.

She looked down at it. "A few weeks ago, it would have unnerved me to see that again, knowing what your father had in store." Jareth started to protest, but Adina firmly cut him off. "I know. He is my biological father, but he is not my daddy. That honor will always be with King Sylvan." She carefully reached out, took the amulet, and slipped it around her neck. "Besides, I know Mother would want me to wear it."

The trumpets sounded, and Adina's heart began pounding. _Oh dear, here goes everything! _"I- are you going to stay and watch?" she asked Jareth.

_Skip your coronation? When that's what I came here for? _"I wouldn't think of missing it," he replied, slightly amused at how nervous she was. Without a second thought, Jareth reached out and hugged Adina, to calm her worries and because she was his sister. "You're going to be fine." He started to pull away, but Adina yanked him back.

Just as Jareth's hug had been without thinking, Adina said, "I love you." _And I really mean that, too._

"Good, because I love you too. Now then, I believe you have to be crowned Faerie Queen?" Jareth offered his sister his arm, and they walked out of the room serenely.

Adina stood outside the Great Hall alone, waiting for the signal that would let her inside. _Mother, Father, I hope you can see all this. I'm fine, I'm at peace, and I hope you are too. _

A vision appeared before her. She could see the whole Underground, and then focused on the Goblin Realm. There, at the official gates of the labyrinth, stood a girl. She had dark hair, wore and blouse, vest, and pants, and was trying to get inside.

_That's her, the one who will break Jareth's heart. Be ready for her, _the Mother's voice echoed throughout Adina's mind.

Adina glanced around, the vision gone. _I will. I swear, I will. _

"Adina, Princess of Seelie Faeries, and Heir Apparent, come forth!" The doors swung open, and she slowly walked down the aisle. Adina saw faces she knew, had known since birth. _But where is………………_

And there was Jareth, draped in black, near the front. Several goblins were with him, and directly on his left was…..

_Master Beggar! _The sight of them, her two best friends, filled Adina with radiant joy, and any remaining fears vanished. As she climbed the stairs to the throne, a favorite saying of Professor Boyce's came to her: _'Each of us has a special destiny. We must embrace it, as best as possible.'_

_Very true, old friend, _Adina grinned. _Time to embrace mine! _

**Author's Note: Well, this is the next to last chapter. I hope everyone's really enjoyed it, as much as I have writing it! And _Labyrinth_'s still not mine. Ah well. **


	42. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Well, here it is, the last chapter! This has been such a great ride, I've loved every minute of it! Thank you so much to all my wonderful readers (especially Moonjava and Nugrey-you two are fantastic); your comments helped more than you know! I love you guys!**

**This is not the end of this particular story, however. I'm working on another one (a sequel to a prequel? Who'd ever think of that). It is going to be called _Queen of the Wilis_, and should lead straight up to the opening scenes of _Labyrinth. _ The question is, should I put it up? When you review this chapter, please also tell me if you would like the new story posted here. Thanks again! And one more time, _Labyrinth _and all characters you recognize from the film are not mine. Drat! Please review! **

**Epilogue**

"And so, Princess Adina was crowned Queen of the Faeries," Sarah's mother finished, smiling at her daughter.

"Did she live happily ever after?" Sarah asked, looking curious.

"Well..." her mother teased, thinking hard. "You'll have to find out for yourself. Now, you need to go to sleep." She leaned over and kissed Sarah, the little girl promptly returning the gesture. "Good night, Sarah."

" 'Night, Mommy. I love you!"

Sarah's mother closed the bedroom door, and headed for her own room. Selecting a nightgown, she jumped, hearing, "What a charming story. You do realize you left out a few details."

Spinning around, Sarah's mother saw Adina sitting on the windowsill. "Your Highness-"

-here Sarah's mother relaxed- "How long have you been sitting and listening?"

"Long enough, Galinda dear." Adina stood, and calmly walked up to her. "It is nice of you to tell Sarah about us Underground denizens, especially when in a few years she'll see it all for herself."

"It's Linda now, Your Highness," Linda Williams said angrily. "And don't you touch my daughter!"

"There's nothing you can do to stop it. The Fates have everything already planned, you know that. Even I can't touch the future, merely see it," Adina shrugged, pushing back her cape.

"Will she be okay?" Linda whispered.

"Yes." Adina started back for the window, then stopped. "Give Sarah this." She tossed Linda a velvet sack.

"What's-"

"It's from Jareth," Adina stood, framed in the windowsill. "and me." And she was gone, a hawk soaring through the night.

Hesitantly, Linda opened the sack, afraid that the siblings- half siblings, she corrected herself- had something inside to pull Sarah Underground.

She left out a sigh of relief. "It's a book, a little red book," Linda said aloud. "Called _The Labyrinth._ " Inside was the story she had just told Sarah, and what looked to be many more. "I'll give it to her- maybe tomorrow," she surmised. Linda shook her head at it all. "What harm can a book do?"

Far in the night sky, a hawk and a white barn owl flew together. Swooping around, they had the same thought, having heard Galinda/Linda. _Oh, you don't know at all, Galinda. Not one bit. _

That comment flowing through, off flew the Goblin King and his sister the Faerie Queen, knowing of the events to come.

**Not the End...Only the Beginning.**


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